Shinobi and Sonnets
by LadyTemari
Summary: Temari returns from an extended mission to find Shikamaru has left her a book to read. Unfortunately the kunoichi has been poisoned while returning to Suna, so she is deteriorating rapidly. Shikamaru/Temari Inspired by Shakespeares's Sonnets, sort of. Final Chapter posted-now complete.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, this story is for amusement purposes only. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. **_

_**This wil be another ongoing story that will have shorter chapters than Love at War and acceptable for all audiences.**_

_**I haven't seen anything like this around, so I hope this is an original idea. Please read and review!  
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Shinobi and Sonnets

**_Chapter 1:The Return_**

Temari was finally home after a successful, yet long S-rank mission. The wind mistress walked through the streets of Suna heading for the Kazekage tower with purpose. The blonde was tired and hungry for real food. If Temari saw another one of the rations she had lived off of for so long, she seriously thought she might injure someone with it. The Suna nin's body ached all over. The kunoichi knew she was nursing a few injuries she probably needed to go to the hospital for.

"Yo," she heard as she felt Kankuro's chakra suddenly materialize behind her.

"Hey," she greeted as the black clad shinobi walked up next her. The puppet master was looking her up and down as if checking to make sure she hadn't lost any limbs. "I'm in one piece, don't look so worried," the blonde chuckled.

Kankuro snorted in response. "I was just worried I was going to get stuck working on the chunin exams if you didn't get back soon," he mumbled. "Gaara has some letters from your boyfriend by the way," Kankuro jeered as he leaped clear of his sister.

"He is not my boyfriend!" yelled Temari as she pulled her fan from her back. She barely winced at the pain from the motion, but it was obvious to her middle brother. Kankuro was already well out of range for her to pummel him with her fan, wearing a grin on his face. The puppeteer knew that she couldn't use any of her jutsu within the confines of Suna. The wind mistress had been deemed to destructive by their little brother, the Kazekage. Kankuro's smile did fall noticing how slow her draw had been, which gave him an idea of the extent of her injuries.

"You need to go to the hospital when you are done reporting to Gaara," he said somberly as he disappeared into the distance.

"How troublesome," the quad pigtailed woman grumbled as she pulled out a scroll and sealed her fan. She was dealing with an inordinate amount of pain, even for her. The rest of her walk to the Kazekage tower would be easier without the additional weight of a huge iron fan. The blonde couldn't help but smile at her brother's concern as she resumed her walk. Temari sighed as she realized that she had used that lazy ninja's phrase though. He had been growing on her and she had very mixed feelings about that.

Temari's mind was working in a thousand different directions all at once. She had to tell Gaara everything she learned on her mission. The kunoichi had the added responsibility of organizing the chunin exams which were coming up soon, which meant she wouldn't be here in Suna for very long. The blonde needed updates on what had happened during her absence, were there any problems with the council? Then of course she wanted specific updates on Gaara and Kankuro, what have they been doing? She knew they were capable of taking care of themselves now, but it just felt so weird for them not to be doing missions together anymore. She felt kind of lonely, which she hated to admit.

"Temari-san! I'm so glad to see you are back safely!" chimed Matsuri's voice bringing Temari back from her thoughts.

"Thank you, Matsuri," replied the blonde realizing she was outside Gaara's office now. "Is he available?"

"Of course," replied the energetic young woman as she opened the door to Gaara's office. Temari bowed in thanks as she walked past. The fan wielding kunoichi found Gaara sitting at his desk diligently working on paperwork. The red head waved for her to take a seat on the couch until he finished up what he was doing, which Temari was more than happy to do. The couch was so soft and comfortable; Temari couldn't help but stretch out and lay down. She closed her eyes as she waited.

"Tell me everything as I finish these documents, I'm listening," murmured Gaara.

Temari went over her detailed report, her theories on events, and the probable outcomes. She outlined the best courses of action, tactical analysis, recommended which shinobi should carry out the additional tasks, and gave some suggestions on additional defense measures for the city. Temari yawned as she finished her long debriefing. She finally opened her eyes up to realize that Gaara had been watching her intently and probably had stopped doing his paperwork a while ago.

"Please go to the hospital to be healed and take this next week off on authorized medical leave. I will update you on everything that has occurred while you were gone tomorrow," the young Kazekage said with concern in his eyes.

"Gaara," Temari started to object as he raised his hand to silence her.

"If you insist on being updated now then I will accompany you to the hospital and do it there as you receive treatment," he sighed. Temari couldn't help but smile at her little brother, he knew her so well. It was a double edged sword though since she wouldn't be able to bribe the medical staff to keep the extent of her injuries from him this time. The blonde had a tendency to push herself too far, and had quite the long medical history because of it. The Kazekage had his sand lift her off of the couch before she could object and carried the pair to the hospital. The somber looking young man updated her on all the day to day standard operations first. Gaara moved on to the common gossip while three doctors mended his sister's torn muscles and broken bones. Once Temari was in a recovery room and they were alone again, she gave him the look demanding the rest on the intel. The Kazekage sighed as he finally went over the classified and confidential matters that Suna was dealing with.

"That covers everything you should know, but you are _ordered_ to remain here in the hospital for 24 hours. I also _order_ you to take one week off. That means NO training," Gaara said emphasizing the key words he knew his sister would have to hear. Temari flinched a little knowing that he was serious, he very rarely ordered her to do anything. It was only when he was worried about her that he would.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage," she whispered as she hung her head and balled her hands into fists.

"Oh, but to keep you busy," he added with an upward turn at the corners of his mouth, "Shikamaru has left you another book."

"Oh sweet Kami, noooo," Temari groaned as she flopped down to laying flat on the bed. "What did he send me now?"

Gaara tossed a black leather bound book onto her bed. "Kankuro and I took the liberty to look of course. We were just making sure there wasn't some love letter stashed in the book for you somewhere," he stated matter of factly even though his sister was giving him a death glare at this point. "It's more of that Shakespeare," he stated as he wrinkled his nose. "It's very difficult to read and confusing."

"It's not bad really once you get used to it," the blonde stated more to herself than to Gaara as she stared up at the ceiling. "The plays are really interesting," she added as she looked towards the red head. "It's not something I would have read if he hadn't challenged my level of intelligence since I had not heard of the author," the blonde shrugged. "He said only a genius would appreciate Shakespeare," she hissed under her breath.

"Temari, you are a genius," Gaara said flatly looking at his sister as if it were obvious. "He is just trying to get a reaction out of you, which he obviously has," the younger brother stated with a slight gleam in his eyes. The Kazekage took out four letters placing them down on the bed.

"What are those?" asked the kunoichi with a perplexed look on her face.

"The letters he sent while you were gone. You were gone for 7 months," the red head replied as he began to walk out of the room. "He was just here a week ago on a mission, which is when he left the book. He seemed worried about you," Gaara added in a softer voice as he turned into the hallway.

"That crybaby? He was probably just worried he would have to do all the work for the chunin exams by himself or with Kankuro," Temari snorted.

Gaara shrugged his shoulders as he wore an expression of indifference. "Good night, sister. Please get some rest," he sighed as he closed the door to her room.

Temari's eyelids were heavy but she was curious as to what this book would be. She picked up the book and flipped the first few pages in to read the contents. '_The Taming of the Shrew & Shakespeare's Sonnets_,' she inwardly groaned as she tucked the letters into the book deciding that she would look over them after she slept.


	2. Beauty's Rose

_**Beauty's Rose**_

Temari was exhausted but her body was still responding as though it was on a mission. The slightest noise or movement caused her to bolt up, assume a defensive stance, and assess her surroundings. Once she had reassured herself that she was indeed safe in a hospital in Suna, she would settle back to sleep. This pattern repeated itself throughout the night until the next morning when the kunoichi heard someone softly approach the door of her room. There was a timid knock, which Temari knew would most likely be Matsuri. Kankuro or Gaara wouldn't have knocked that softly and the medical staff knew to leave her alone.

"You can come in," Temari answered.

Matsuri entered the room carrying a large basket that smelled of freshly baked pastries and breads. "Good morning, Temari-san. Lord Kazekage wanted me to bring you breakfast and see if you needed anything."

"I need sleep," joked Temari, "other than that I don't really _need_ anything. Breakfast does sound good though." The blonde sat up and peered over at the basket, "That smells wonderful!"

The young woman's face lit up as she placed the basket on a small table so she could prepare Temari a plate. Matsuri had brought fresh fruits, meats, breads, and delicious pastries for the sister of the Kazekage. Temari had forgotten how hungry she was for real food when she arrived at the hospital last night since she only wanted to sleep. The four pigtailed blonde quickly devoured everything on her plate.

"Actually, Matsuri, do you have anything else you need to do this morning?" Temari queried as she handed Gaara's former apprentice the plate motioning for more food.

"No, not really," the short haired nin answered as she heaped more of the delicious treats onto the dish. "I was simply going to return and see if there is anything else I can do to assist Gaara-sama."

"I am going to ask you to do something that may sound weird," Temari sighed. "Please do not tell anyone that I asked you to do this," the blonde said in a hushed tone. "I am very tired and need some decent sleep, so will you sit here and read? Even after I fall asleep, just keep reading so my brain realizes I am somewhere safe."

"Hai! Like we do for Lord Gaara!" answered Matsuri brightly.

"Yes, like we do for Gaara," nodded Temari. "Here," she said as she pulled the letters out of the book and handed it to the young woman. "Please read the sonnets, but leave the play for me to read later."

Temari tucked the letters under her pillow then resumed eating voraciously. Matsuri looked over the book carefully. "Ah, Shakespeare! I love Shakespeare!" the young woman declared with excitement.

"You do?" asked Temari_. 'Matsuri is definitely not a genius, but she is very arts oriented. Literature is one of her things,'_ the blonde kunoichi thought to herself. Temari studied the facial expressions of the animated young woman as she flipped through the book.

"Yes! Well, I enjoy some of his works more than others," the brunette answered as she skimmed the pages. "It depends on the type of play, I guess. I read the appropriate play for the mood I am in."

"Which one is your favorite?" asked Temari in between bites, still studying body language and expressions. The blonde had to admit she was intrigued by Matsuri's enthusiasm for the subject. It would be nice to have someone to discuss the stories with prior to seeing Shikamaru.

"Oh, to pick only one would be difficult," Matsuri murmured as she looked across the room at nothing particular with a faraway look in her eyes. This was obviously a subject the brunette enjoyed. "I would have to say," she placed a finger on her chin as she looked upwards to think for a moment, "that A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, and Romeo & Juliet are my three favorites."

"I've read Hamlet, but not the other two," Temari remarked.

"Oh, uhmm," Matsuri began as she blushed, "they are more romantic stories."

"Really?" the pigtailed blonde asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I could loan them to you after you complete this one," Matsuri eagerly added.

"I think I would like that," smiled Temari as she went over the stories she had read from Shakespeare so far in her head. She wouldn't really consider any of them romantic. Apparently Shikamaru was assigning her the tragedies from Shakespeare's repertoire. "The play in that book, 'The Taming of the Shrew', what would you qualify that one as?"

"A comedy, but.." Matsuri paused and began to fidget with the pages of the book. "Well, I don't want to spoil it for you," she finished as she smiled brightly. "I do not mean to be nosy, but is this the book that Shikamaru left for you?"

"Yes," answered Temari in a defeated tone.

"I wish Gaara liked Shakespeare," Matsuri said wistfully. The woman looked at Temari enviously, "You are so lucky."

"Whoaaa there," the blonde kunoichi said as she lifted up her hands. "Shikamaru is just a friend and someone I work with on the chunin exams."

"For now," stated Matsuri with a tone of finality in her voice that Temari didn't remember her ever having before. The young woman used to be shy and rarely so audacious. How much had she changed in the seven months that Temari was gone? "Here we are," declared Matsuri changing the subject as she found the first page of the sonnets. "Would you like me to go ahead and start reading?" Temari nodded her head in affirmation since she was still recovering from Matsuri's bold statement. Two simple words had managed to dumbfound the wind mistress.

"From fairest creatures.." began Matsuri as she read the first sonnet. She was an excellent narrator, which is why Temari and Kankuro had enlisted her help on the many sleepless nights before the Shukaku was extracted from Gaara. Temari listened to Matsuri's soothing voice with her eyes closed as she chewed her last few bites. The blonde's head was swirling with thoughts so she wasn't focusing as well as she would have liked. The sonnet was short but Temari wanted to be sure she understood it.

"Matsuri," Temari softly said as she placed her empty plate on the bedside table, "Will you read each sonnet twice please?"

"with pleasure," answered the brunette sweetly. Temari rearranged herself in bed so she would be comfortable then closed her eyes. "From fairest creatures.." the young woman began again.

The blonde kunoichi listened to Matsuri's melodic voice as she drifted off to sleep, finally restful deep sleep.

* * *

><p>Temari could hear the voices, but her brain wasn't making sense of what was being said at first. As she slowly woke up, she became more and more aware that there were multiple people in the room.<p>

There was a deep voice speaking with dramatic flair.

"Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom," Temari opened her eyes since her back was to the gruff yet captivating voice. She saw Gaara standing with his arms crossed staring out the window listening to the speaker. Gaara's face was worn with concern and worry which was rare for the young Kazekage. One would rarely be able to read the young man so easily. The voice continued, "If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

"Kankuro, I had no idea!" squealed Matsuri in delight, "You are full of surprises."

Gaara turned around to look at Temari since he had sensed she was awake and looking at him. There was an unusual sadness in his eyes as he looked at his big sister. Temari flashed a smile at him and winked, hoping to brighten his mood a little. Temari rolled over to face Matsuri as she teased, "His battle uniform is based on Kabuki theater and he is named after the Nakamura acting dynasty."

"Oh, yeah! Nakamura Kankuro," replied the young woman as the realization dawned on her. "I guess I never made the connection."

Kankuro was not in uniform or makeup right now, which Temari liked to see. He flushed a little at the reference and quickly downplayed it, "Oh, it's nothing really."

"He was sent to school as a child and trained before he became a shinobi," added Temari watching the redness grow on her brother's face. "He can sing and dance too."

"Onee-san!" Kankuro scolded before quickly turning to Matsuri. "Tell anyone and you're dead!"

"Matsuri," Gaara interrupted, "thank you for all you have done today. We greatly appreciate it. Would you mind sending the head doctor in now, we need to discuss some things with Temari."

"Hai, Lord Kazekage," Matsuri quickly answered as she rose and bowed to him. She could see and hear the concern in Gaara's voice as well. Very few people would be able to see it since Gaara hid his emotions so well, but this room had the only three people close enough to him that could. The years Matsuri had spent as his student, reading for him, then as his personal assistant gave her extensive knowledge of Suna's Kazekage. Matsuri paused at the door and looked back to the redhead, "Shall I fix your favorite for dinner tonight, the salted beef tongue and some fried gizzards with mushrooms?"

The edges of Gaara's mouth turned up for a moment before he responded, "That sounds wonderful, thank you. I may be late though, so just place it in my office if you need to leave before I return."

Matsuri smiled brightly at him as she nodded and disappeared into the hallway. Kankuro and Gaara then both looked at Temari, the concern clearly written on both of their faces now. It was creeping Temari out now, she was not used to seeing her brothers like this.

"Geez, what's going on you two," Temari joked. "I feel fine and should be out of here in no time. You act like I am dying or something."

"Not if I can help it," mumbled Gaara as he turned and looked out the window again.

"W-What?" Temari stuttered in disbelief.

* * *

><p><em>Sonnet 1 from William Shakespeare for reference:<em>

**From fairest creatures we desire increase,**

**That thereby beauty's rose might never die,**

**But as the riper should by time decrease,**

**His tender heir might bear his memory;**

**But thou, contracted to thine own bright eyes,**

**Feed'st thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel.**

**Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament**

**And only herald to the gaudy spring**

**Within thine own bud buriest thy content,**

**And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding.**

**Pity the world, or else this glutton be:**

**To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.  
><strong>


	3. Youth's Pride

_**Youth's Pride**_

Shikamaru Nara was enjoying a long overdue day off, lying on a hill watching clouds. The shadow user sighed as he placed his arms behind his head as a pillow. The ravenhaired Nara took in a deep breath of the damp air that smelled of grass and leaves. It was good to be home. He was about to drift off to sweet sleep when he heard a hawk's cry. He looked for the source of the noise and saw Suna's fastest messenger hawk, Takamaru, speeding toward the Konoha aviary. The large bird of prey continued making its piercing call, making sure those there knew the message was urgent.

"How troublesome," the pony-tailed Nara grumbled as he stood and began to walk towards the Hokage tower. The young genius began to go through scenarios in his head, but had a gut feeling as to what was going on. Temari still wasn't back when he had been in Suna just a week before, so it probably had something to do with her. Shikamaru didn't run. Actually, he didn't even walk fast towards the Hokage office. He knew aviary personnel would have to call someone from cipher division, who in turn would interpret and write down the message, and then the final result delivered to the Hokage. He should be able to time it to arrive in Tsunade's office at the same time as the message. The black haired shinobi shoved his hands into his pockets as he meandered into the Hokage tower and walked up the stairs. He expected to be passed by Yurika sprinting to the Hokage's office any moment, but had yet to hear her approach. The Nara arrived at the door to quickly and sighed. It must be a long message that the cipher was decoding, but he may as well go ahead and knock.

"Come in!" he heard Tsunade answer quickly.

The shadow user walked in the door to see Shizune and Tsunade in a heated argument about something. The blonde was sitting behind her desk while Shizune, holding TonTon the pig, stood to her right. He sighed again as he found a chair to sit and wait in. He crumpled into the chair then rested his head on the back as he closed his eyes.

"Are we keeping you awake Shikamaru?" Tsunade asked a little perturbed. "Why are you here anyway?"

The young Nara heard the quick footsteps of Yurika finally approaching as he yawned. "It's a drag, but I'll go." Shikamaru didn't even open his eyes to look at them as he spoke.

Tsunade looked at him as if to ask what on earth he was talking about when Yurika burst into the office.

"Lady Hokage, an urgent message from Suna," the short haired woman panted handing the scroll to Tsunade. The blonde read the message as Shizune peeked over her shoulder. Tsunade's eyes widened as her free hand balled into a fist. She stood slamming the scroll down on her desk.

"Shizune, summon Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi right away," commanded the blonde as she began scribbling on a sheet of paper. "Tell them to pack for a trip to Suna immediately." Shizune bowed and quickly exited as Tsunade turned towards the Nara. Shikamaru had stood up from his chair and waited patiently, but was looking at his Hokage with those hawk-like eyes.

"Shikamaru, go see Ino to collect all of these ingredients and package them to last the journey," she groaned as she thrust the list towards him. "Suna can't utilize their main tactician, so I guess it's only fair I send them one of mine. Looks like the chunin exams are going to be delayed, which I am sure leaves you heartbroken," the Hokage said in a tone laced with sarcasm.

The pony-tailed Nara swiftly took the list then turned to walk out the door. He grumbled, "How troublesome," under his breath as the blonde kunoichi called after him.

"If you see your father while you are packing, tell him to report to me immediately." Shikamaru nodded as he disappeared, leaving Tsunade standing over her desk. "I told Gaara it was too risky," she whispered as she sank back down into her chair. The Hokage placed a hand on her head as though she was about to have a very large headache. The blonde's other hand slipped into a drawer to find her secret stash of sake.

* * *

><p>"This is a joke, right?" Temari said as she looked at the doctor. She glanced at Gaara who simply stood there with his arms crossed, a sad look in his eyes. She then looked to Kankuro who sat in a chair with his head hung between his knees, hands grasping his spiky brown hair. The blonde kunoichi finally rested her gaze back on the doctor. The middle aged man looked very uncomfortable as he shook his head from side to side and looked at her apologetically. "I feel fine, your tests must be wrong," the four pigtailed blonde growled.<p>

"Temari," Gaara spoke softly, "don't take this out on the doctor, he is only doing his job." The red head turned towards the man and nodded, "We will proceed with the treatments we can until an antidote arrives. Thank you, you can leave now." The man looked incredibly relieved and couldn't retreat from the room fast enough.

"This can't possibly be as bad as he is saying, I feel a little tired and that's it!" Temari almost whined after the doctor was gone. "Kankuro was unconscious and looked like he was going to die. I cannot possibly be that bad," she snorted.

"Sis, that was a different type of poison," Kankuro argued looking up and sounding very frustrated. "The one Sasori used on me was a fast acting one." The puppet master had the more extensive experience with poisons as far as use and being victim of them of the three sand siblings. The brown haired young man raised his voice as he continued, "This yin chakra infused poison is slow, but is essentially eating you from the inside out!"

"I'm sorry!" the blonde kunoichi yelled back at her brother. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"What we need," Gaara smoothly spoke as he walked around between Kankuro and his sister's bed, "is for you to rest and not get excited." The red head gave a reassuring glance to the puppeteer before looking back to Temari and continuing. "You will have to be treated every hour to stop the spread and prevent further damage. It is going to be three days before we can get everything needed to create an antidote, so _we need_ you to conserve your energy," Gaara looked his sister directly in the eyes. "I don't want to make it an order, so please."

"All right, all right," the blonde kunoichi grumbled as she crossed her arms across her chest and stared down at the bed.

"I told you that I should have come with you," groaned Kankuro as he returned his head to his hands guiltily. "We never should have let you do this alone."

"It wouldn't have worked if I wasn't alone," Temari answered without looking at him in a somber tone. She shrugged as she turned to face her brothers, "Hey, I had to watch you two almost die. It's just your turn to know how it feels, I guess."

"Ha..ha.." droned Kankuro looking up at his sister who wore a smug look. Gaara sighed as he looked at the blonde kunoichi looking slightly exasperated.

"So I am stuck here on bed rest, fine. Guess I'll be here if you need anything," snapped Temari as she lay back down in bed, turning to face away from her brothers. She covered herself up with a sheet as she added, "I'm going back to sleep then, I don't have to be awake when they treat me do I?"

Gaara and Kankuro looked at one another, Kankuro shrugging and throwing his hands up to show his frustration. Gaara motioned for him to calm down and leave the room. The Kazekage's voice was calm as he answered, "No." He paused for a moment as if he was thinking about saying something more, but apparently decided against it. "Good night, oneesan. I will have someone outside the door at all times. If you need anything, you only need to ask."

"Thank you," Temari softly answered still not looking towards her brothers. Kankuro stood in the doorway looking back to her as Gaara made his way from the room. The middle child understood now, he could hear the tears behind her voice. She didn't want them to see her like this and wanted to appear strong. The puppet master wanted to go back and reassure her, but knew that would only make things worse. He looked at the floor as his little brother walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Gaara nodded as if to say it's all right as they walked out into the hallway, lightly closing the door behind them.

Kankuro opened his mouth to say something but Gaara held up his hand for him to wait a moment. The red head weaved a few hand signs and activated his third eye that he had left observing his sister's room. He watched for a few minutes frowning before he turned to his older brother. "She began punching her pillow, called herself stupid 74 times, and is now crying uncontrollably," he stated quietly.

"Why can't she just let us be there for her?" the puppeteer questioned with a concerned look on his face.

"She feels she is supposed to take care of us, not the other way around," the Kazekage answered flatly. "Temari is too proud to let us see her the way she is now."


	4. The Looking Glass

_**The Looking Glass**_

Temari hated the hospital and doctors, but what she really despised was feeling helpless. The blonde melted down as soon as her brothers had left the room. Temari was furious at herself for being poisoned and even more so for making her brothers worry about her. The kunoichi mentally went through the confrontation and knew exactly when she had taken the blow that lead to her current predicament. Temari had abandoned the group after earning their trust over those months, which she knew would not go unnoticed. She had hoped she would make it back to Suna before they detected her absence. The kunoichi had been very careful with the paths she took and concealing her trail. It had not been enough, three of the shinobi managed to catch up with her. She relived the battle in her head over and over trying to come up with different ways she could have handled it.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid! Kami! Why am I so stupid?" she silently screamed as she punched her pillow again.

The wind mistress could hear the rumble of wheels coming down the hall with equipment so she tried to pull herself together quickly. There was talking outside her door, which sounded like both Gaara and Kankuro were still here. A few more minutes passed before there was a knock on her door. "And so it begins," she mumbled under her breath before yelling, "Come in!" A team of three doctors and four nurses came in and immediately began setting things up throughout the room. The blonde kunoichi sighed as she plopped herself back down on the bed as one of the doctors came over and activated his chakra to begin his portion. A nurse approached her other side and explained that she would be starting an IV and that they were going to be running a variety of medications and fluids from now until the antidote arrived. Temari closed her eyes and tried to simply lay there as each person worked on her in turn. "How long is this going to take?" she finally asked after what felt like forever.

A younger looking woman doctor answered her, "This first session is going to be pretty long since we need to know exactly the extent of degradation to your organs and internal tissues. This poison is very hard to detect and luckily one of your physicians noticed some peculiar numbers in your labs." She smiled warmly to Temari as she resumed her work.

"Do you mind if I read then?" the wind mistress queried.

"Not at all," the young lady answered.

"Would you mind handing me the book sitting in that chair then, please?" Temari asked as she pointed to the item. The doctor paused again to walk over to where the book sat. She picked it up and handed it to the blonde kunoichi as the other personnel in the room each worked on the Kazekage's sister. "Thank you," Temari murmured.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru arrived at the Yamanaka flower shop and immediately found his team mate. "Ino, I need these items as quickly as possible," he stated with seriousness in his voice he didn't get very often. The platinum blonde looked at him oddly as she took the list from his hand. She yelled to one of the other workers that she had to leave and for them to take over as she walked to the back of the shop while reading the list.<p>

The kunoichi sighed as she recognized many of the items on the list. "Who is poisoned this badly?" she asked as she grabbed a backpack and several bags to seal the individual ingredients needed.

"Temari," answered Shikamaru trying to make sure he seemed emotionless and unconcerned; the last thing he wanted was to be nagged by Ino.

"Oh," responded Ino as her eyes widened. She picked up her pace as she went from plant to plant snipping off the leaves or blooms required. "There are a few of these herbs that I don't have here. I will need to get them from our greenhouse on the outskirts of town," she explained. "I can go get them and meet you at the gate with everything you need. I will make sure everything is prepared to last the journey to Suna," she offered sweetly and maybe a little too eagerly. The genius shrugged off the nagging warning in the back of his mind.

"Thanks, Ino. I still have to go home and pack, so if you bring everything to the gate that would be big help," Shikamaru answered. "Sakura is going and will be doing the treatment, so if I am not there yet you can give everything to her."

"Any chance to harass billboard brow is always a pleasure," snickered Ino. Shikamaru couldn't help but smile. The platinum blonde added hesitantly, "Not that it's any of my business, but aren't you and Temari close? Are you OK?"

Shikamaru waved it off as if it was nothing, "We just work on the exams together, I'm fine."

Ino giggled as she continued gathering items, "You're a horrible liar at times, Shikamaru. Get out of here and get your things."

Shikamaru's body stiffened as he analyzed his own body language and what he had said. "Whatever," he shrugged trying to look disinterested, "I'm not lying."

"OK, then you're in denial," Ino said with a smile still on her lips as she shooed him out of the store. "We both have things we need to be doing. Go!"

"Troublesome woman," she heard Shikamaru grumble as he leapt up to the rooftops and dashed off towards his home.

Ino smiled to herself mischievously as she decided she was going to give Shikamaru a friendly nudge to finally do something between him and Temari. The platinum blonde rubbed her hands together as she devised how she could include Sakura in her little scheme. She grabbed a second bag as she scurried out the door to gather the rest of the items on the list. She may even throw in a couple things extra.

* * *

><p>Temari groaned after the door finally closed behind the last nurse leaving the room. Why was it that she was feeling worse after they did all of that work on her? It didn't help that she was reading through the sonnets again and the first portion of them all seemed to deal with death, dying, and never knowing love. How ironic that she would be reading these while in the hospital supposedly on her death bed. She turned the pages back to sonnet 2 and read a certain line that was sticking with her. '<em>This fair child of mine shall sum my count, and make my old excuse<em>' she read again slowly. She had never thought about having children, getting married, or any of the things most people dreamed of. She was a kunoichi and had only thought about serving her country and taking care of her brothers. She found herself suddenly very dissatisfied with that thought. She thought briefly of her mother and the love she had for her. If Temari were to die, only her brothers would really mourn her. The love of a sibling was very different from the love of a child. The pig tailed blonde sighed as she closed the book. Reflecting on her own mortality was making her soft.

Temari suddenly remembered the letters she had stuffed under her pillow and wondered what the annoying Nara had written to her. She pulled them out and found the oldest one which was during the first month she was gone. All of the letters had already been opened and read by Gaara, so she didn't have to tear open the envelope.

_**Sabaku no Temari,**_

_**I hope this letter finds you in good health. I realize that the chunin exams are almost a year away but I was hoping to have the chance to discuss some possible changes and additions with you. When will your next trip to Konoha be? Thank you for your time.**_

_**Respectfully,**_

_**Shikamaru Nara**_

"Well that was boring, short, and to the point. Just like the lazy ass," she laughed. Why did he even bother writing a letter to ask that? The next letter was dated to when she had been gone for three months.

_**Sabaku no Temari,**_

_**I have not received a response to my last letter as to when you will be in Konoha again. There are some things I would like to discuss prior to the chunin exams concerning some suggested changes from the participating shinobi. It would be advantageous to work out these details in advance rather than having to adapt at the last minute. I know it is shocking that I want to actually have things ready well in advance, but some events have happened that have caused me to adjust my outlook on some things. **_

_**Have you had the chance to read Hamlet yet? What are your thoughts on it? It wasn't too difficult for you to follow was it? If you're up for the challenge I have a few more plays I can suggest. **_

_**Respectfully,**_

_**Shikamaru Nara **_

"That ass," Temari hissed. She read over the letter again and wondered what had happened to Shikamaru while she was gone. It had to be something rather significant for him to change his lazy ways and actually start showing some initiative. The next letter was from when she had been gone for five months.

_**Troublesome woman,**_

_**When you are going to leave on an extended mission, it would be nice to let your fellow chunin examiner know. I have started the paperwork and invitations since you are obviously not going to be here in time to supervise. When you finally get back I don't want you nagging and nitpicking about the way I have done things. **_

_**Nara**_

"Really?" she almost screamed. "Should I even bother reading the last one?" she grumbled. She didn't know why she felt so disappointed. She slipped the last letter out of its envelope and found that it was several pages long. That was definitely not like Shikamaru. She stared at the papers for a moment before unfolding them to read.

_**Temari,**_

_**I apologize for my last letter. These last few months have been incredibly stressful for me, not that it justifies my behavior, but it may help you to understand. My sensei was killed by a member of the Akatsuki right in front of me. Honestly, he sacrificed himself to save me. I have a hard time still accepting that. He left his unborn child behind, which I have sworn to protect and teach when the time comes. It has caused me to rethink many things in my life and I have started to make changes that are hopefully for the better. **_

Temari immediately noted it was addressed simply to her. On top of that, he actually apologized! He had never apologized to her, ever. The letter continued with explanations, thoughts on life in general, and what had been happening around Konoha. He ended the letter inviting her to come to Kurenai's baby shower if she was back in time. The young Nara said he looked forward to seeing her when she returned, which caused her heart to flutter in her chest for some reason. He signed it with –_Sincerely, Shikamaru_. Temari looked down the final page to find one last note.

_**P.S. You should read Shakespeare's Sonnets. The first 18 of them are what I am focusing on right now. They are actually written from a man to another man, which is odd, so read them as if they are from a man written to you instead. It only requires a few changes with your imagination. **_

Temari took a quick breath in. Was she reading too much into that last statement? Read them as if they were written to her? She quickly picked up the book again and began reading through the lines as if they were specifically written for her from Shikamaru. She sighed realizing she was probably reading far too much into the simple suggestion. The blonde did have to admit that the last letter was more along the lines of what she was hoping to hear from him. She tossed the first three letters into the trash, but read over the last one again. The kunoichi smiled as she folded it up carefully and tucked it into the book marking the first page of the sonnets. Temari placed the book under her pillow as she decided to curl up and get some rest. She felt exhausted and drained from her treatment and realized that they would be back to do it all over again shortly.


	5. Time Will Play the Tyrant

_**Time Will Play the Tyrant**_

"Tadaima!" announced Shikamaru as he quickly slipped off his shoes and grabbed a backpack he kept ready by the door. The shadow user decided there were a few other things he wanted to add for the trip to Suna, so he took off up to his room. Yoshino peeked out of the kitchen and watched her son move with purpose she was not used to seeing. Shikaku even looked up from where he was sitting in his comfortable chair to watch the rare event. The two parents looked at one another after their son had disappeared out of sight.

"Otousan, Lady Tsunade needs to see you right away," the younger Nara yelled from his room.

Shikaku sighed as he hung his head for a moment before standing up. "So," the elder Nara began as he saw the agitated look on his wife's face, "where are you going?"

"Suna," the response came accompanied by the sound of opening and closing drawers.

Shikaku and Yoshino shared a look for a moment before the elder Nara spoke again. "I see. Are you aware of exactly what you're going in to?"

Shikamaru was coming back down the stairs at this point and locked eyes with his father. "No. Temari is poisoned and Suna is very likely to be attacked due to whatever the mission was that she was on." The shadow user was finishing his preparations for departure as he continued, "It also doesn't help that the attack would be happening while their main tactician is incapacitated and her brothers will be concerned about her wellbeing rather than focusing on strategy. That is the extent of what I know."

"I'll walk you to the gate and fill you in then," Shikaku said softly placing a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. "Do you need anything else?"

Shikamaru shook his head no as he walked over to his mother. "I'll be careful," he mumbled as he threw his arm up and over his head to rub the back of his neck.

Yoshino smiled as she gave him a quick hug since she knew how much he hated it, but she insisted on a hug before every mission. "Gambatte and stay safe, my boy," she whispered. Shikamaru shook his head yes in response before he turned to follow his father out the door.

* * *

><p>"She isn't going to last three days for an antidote to get here!" growled Kankuro as his fist slammed down on the Kazekage's desk. Gaara remained seated in his chair with his hands folded and his head resting on them. His blue eyes were like fire as he looked up at his brother, but his face was stoic as always.<p>

"You aren't helping things," Gaara said softly.

"Did you not see how fast she is going downhill? This has only been a matter of hours and she has already deteriorated this much," yelled the puppeteer. "I understand why you don't want me to leave right now, but I am going!"

"Kankuro," the Kazekage sighed, "Suna is the target of a large scale attack that could come at any time." The red head closed his eyes as he continued, "I am certain the Konoha shinobi are on the way and if you go out to meet them you will be going alone. You would be an easy target and could be made a victim as well. Is that what you want?" Gaara opened his eyes to see the pained expression on his brother's face. "What good would you really be doing?" the youngest sibling continued, "You can't make them run any faster and don't have a teleportation jutsu or anything like that. All we can do is wait."

"Gaara, doing nothing is killing me," Kankuro whispered as he hung his head.

"I know," the sand wielder spoke quietly.

There was a loud knock on the door to the Kazekage's office that Gaara immediately beckoned to enter. Kankuro moved over to sit on the couch appearing disheartened as a shinobi entered the room carrying a scroll.

"A reply from Konoha, Lord Kazekage," the young man stated as he handed over the scroll.

Gaara nodded in response and motioned for the man to leave. The red head undid the seal and slowly rolled open the scroll. His eyes traveled across the paper appearing to read it twice before he placed the scroll down on his desk. Kankuro looked up at his brother from where he sat waiting for what news had come, but Gaara appeared to have something else on his mind. The young man pulled out two blank scrolls and began writing quickly. Gaara stood after labeling and sealing the two scrolls motioning Kankuro to follow him. The puppeteer followed obediently in silence as the pair walked to Suna's aviary. Gaara selected Takamaru and Tobimaru, Suna's two fastest messenger hawks, and slid a scroll into their respective pouches. He directed Tobimaru to Konoha and the Hokage, which made Kankuro look at Gaara strangely. The red head then ordered Takamaru (Suna's fastest hawk) to search for Hatake Kakashi of Konoha who was in route to Suna. The two birds of prey were off in a flurry of feathers.

"Kakashi then," murmured Kankuro finally breaking the silence. "Who else is with him?"

"Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru," answered Gaara as he looked up to the sky to watch the birds fly off in to the distance.

"Really, hmnnn," said the puppeteer almost to himself.

"They'll be here in less than three days," the Kazekage stated quietly. "I have faith in Naruto and the others."

* * *

><p>Matsuri had come back to the hospital since Gaara never returned to his office. The young woman had forced the sand wielder and Kankuro to finally leave their sister. The two reluctantly left their seats outside Temari's room but only because Matsuri agreed to remain in their place. Gaara still had to fulfill his role as Kazekage no matter what the condition of his sister was, especially when the village was being threatened. The assistant to the Kazekage had come prepared to stay the night since she knew that would be the best thing she could do for Gaara right now. It would give him peace of mind knowing that someone he trusted was watching over his big sister.<p>

Matsuri didn't sit outside the room like the sand siblings had, so she had quietly opened the door and slipped into the room. She stood there for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the darkened room before making her way over to a comfortable chair. Matsuri began silently digging through the small bag she brought with her. The young woman was good at anticipating things now, it was a skill she had been forced to develop over the years. She pulled out a couple books she had brought for Temari, but it didn't look like the blonde would be reading them anytime soon. The brunette placed them on a table beside her as she looked over the patient lying in bed. The wind mistress was asleep now, but one could tell that it was not a restful sleep. Her breath was too fast, skin was beaded with sweat, and random muscles would twitch from time to time. Temari had already received half a dozen or so treatments, honestly Matsuri wasn't sure of the exact number. It was alarming how quickly Temari's color and energy were fading.

Matsuri understood that people would be in and out treating Temari constantly, but she wanted to monitor who they were. The young kunoichi was still very wary of people when it came to Gaara and his siblings, even more so at the moment. The days of assassination attempts ended after Gaara's resurrection from the dead, but that didn't mean that people suddenly became more trustworthy. The young brunette took chakra strings as she tiptoed and placed them strategically around the room. The strings attached to the windows, around Temari's bed, and on the single door that allowed entry to the room. The strings were light enough that even a trained shinobi would probably not notice them, so people would be able to walk through them when it came time for treatment. If anyone came to visit, Matsuri would know. This was a nice little trick Kankuro had taught her which worked perfectly for an occasion such as this. The young brunette prepared to catch a little sleep while she could before Temari's next treatment. Matsuri looked to the area that she knew Gaara's third eye was hidden for observation and nodded to indicate she was done with her preparations. As she reclined the chair into a comfortable position, Temari began to stir.

"Matsuri?" the elder kunoichi asked softly.

"Hai Temari-san," the young woman answered popping herself back up so she could see the wind mistress better.

"Thank you," the blonde breathed wincing at the pain when she moved too much.

"You're very welcome, but you need to be resting," the brunette scolded. "Lay down."

Temari nodded as she tried to make herself comfortable, but there just didn't seem to be a position that was even tolerable. The kunoichi's frustration was clearly evident on her face, which prompted Matsuri to go over and try to find some way to make the wind mistress comfortable. The brunette adjusted the head of the bed and rearranged the pillows, which seemed to help Temari a little.

"Temari," Matsuri began watching the kunoichi closely, "are you declining the pain medications the doctors have been trying to give you?"

"Yes," was the quiet response. "I cannot leave myself that vulnerable, I'm in bad enough shape as is."

"Sweet Kami," sighed Matsuri, "I am here and have the room covered with chakra strings to alert me to any unwanted presence. Surely you can take a little medicine so you can sleep more comfortably."

The blonde shook her head no with a look that said this was not up for debate. "I have to be ready," the blonde stated softly as she hung her head. "I still have to be able to think clearly."

Matsuri gave an exasperated sigh as she looked down at the blonde.

Temari's face appeared to suddenly remember something as she turned to Matsuri. "I need you to tell me something and I need you to be honest," demanded the kunoichi in a serious tone.

"You have my word," Matsuri responded bracing for whatever it was.

"Am I like Kate?" Temari asked earnestly. "Am I the shrew? Please tell me I am reading too much into this."

Matsuri laughed before she could stop herself which caused the blonde to glare at her with more intensity. "I take it you read 'The Taming of the Shrew'," Matsuri asked trying to keep a straight face. Temari nodded in response and was obviously waiting for the answer to her question. "Well, there are some similarities," replied the young woman who was suddenly very thankful that Temari was in a weakened condition.

"I wouldn't be broken as easily as Katherine was," growled Temari. "Petruccio told her he would be master of what he owned. That she was his, like household goods. How can any woman give in to such a sexist pig?"

"Ah, but was he genuinely a sexist pig or was that a façade?" Matsuri retorted with an amused smile on her face. She never would have imagined Temari analyzing Shakespearean characters in her wildest dreams.

"Maybe I need to read it again, I did go through it pretty fast," mumbled Temari as she shifted in her bed trying to find a comfortable position again.

"Oh, speaking of reading," Matsuri retrieved the two books she had set aside earlier, "here are the plays I was talking about earlier." The young woman placed them on the bedside table for Temari. "I could start reading one out loud for you if you would like."

"Actually, would you read 'The Taming of the Shrew' again to me?" the blonde asked hesitantly as she pulled the book out from under her pillow. "Just one more time, then I will move on to another story."

"Certainly," smiled Matsuri.

* * *

><p>Team 7 and Shikamaru had mobilized quickly and were already on their way to Suna. Kakashi was leading, but Shikamaru was subtly pushing the pace. The former Anbu definitely found this to be out of character for the normally lazy nin, but decided not to say anything.<p>

"This kind of feels like déjà vu," Sakura said quietly as she ran alongside Naruto.

"Yeah," answered the spiky haired blonde in one of his rare serious moments. "Gaara is counting on us, so we have to do our best."

"Actually," interjected Shikamaru, "the one needed the most is Sakura. We could make the trip to Suna without stopping but should probably take turns carrying her so she can preserve her strength. She won't have a chance to rest once she gets there, Sakura will have to get straight to curing Temari."

"Hmmm..That would require us to travel in the desert during the day though," Kakashi thought out loud as he pondered what the Nara had suggested.

"No one is carrying me," growled Sakura as a warning.

Kakashi stopped and looked to the sky, which caused the rest of the group to halt suddenly. The shriek of a hawk pierced the air, the same cry Shikamaru had heard much earlier in the day.

"Takamaru," muttered the genius under his breath. "Temari's condition must have worsened."

Kakashi raised his arm for the bird of prey to land on. The hawk circled for a moment looking over the shinobi warily, and then gracefully lowered himself onto the man's forearm. The white haired shinobi took the scroll from the hawk's carrying pouch as his team came closer to find out what the latest information was. The hawk spread his wings to take off as Kakashi lightly moved his arm skyward. The copy nin began to read over the scroll carefully, noting that Shikamaru had nonchalantly moved so he could read the scroll as well.

"Well Sakura you have an important decision to make," said Kakashi a little too cheerfully, a smile showing through his mask. "Do you wish to be carried bridal style or piggy back?"

"What?" asked the pink haired kunoichi in shock.

"I'll take the first shift!" cried Naruto enthusiastically as he picked up Sakura before she could object. The blonde disappeared into the distance with ridiculous speed as only he could do while carrying someone. Kakashi and Shikamaru quickly followed behind noting that Sakura was now pounding on Naruto's head in protest, but the blonde was only grinning in response.

"I'm sure you saw as well as I did that your deduction was correct," Kakashi said eying the genius out of the corner of his eye. "Temari is getting worse faster than anticipated."

Shikamaru kept his eyes looking ahead as he simply nodded in response. "We need to move faster," he softly spoke as if trying to convince himself that he could do so. The ponytailed Nara picked up his pace to close the distance between him and Naruto momentarily leaving a surprised Kakashi behind. "Time will play the tyrant," the genius said quietly to himself.


	6. Serving His Sacred Majesty

_**Serving His Sacred Majesty**_

Matsuri woke from her sleep when she heard Temari's group of doctors and nurses coming down the hall again. The young woman was exhausted, but was not going to leave the blonde kunoichi. She could only imagine how tired Temari must be from the poison and treatments. Temari had been receiving the healing therapy for a little over 24 hours at this point.

"Here we go again," moaned Temari pitifully to herself not realizing Matsuri was awake.

"Agree to the pain medicine," Matsuri almost growled which caused Temari to jump. "It will help you sleep. We have Baki, Gaara, and Kankuro to deal with things. There is no need for you to suffer," the brunette added in a gentler tone.

"Just a little longer," the blonde pleaded. "I promise once the Konoha nins are here I will let the doctors give me something for the pain. I just need to be sharp in case something happens before they get here."

"You are so stubborn, just like Gaara says," sighed the brunette as there was a knock on the door.

"Enter," Temari answered knowing all too well that it was time for her next treatment. There really wasn't adequate time for rest in between the sessions.

The group came in and began their usual routine of care as Matsuri grabbed one of her books. "Midsummer Night's Dream?" she asked the kunoichi who was grimacing now in discomfort. Matsuri couldn't help but wonder what Temari's pain tolerance level was, because it seemed out of this world.

"Yes, please. Take my mind off of this!" Temari grunted in response as her skin paled and she broke out into a sweat again.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru's legs were on fire as he inwardly cursed his lack of stamina. The shadow user was easily the slowest in their group, even with Sakura being carried by the overly energetic Naruto. Kakashi had tried to take his turn carrying the pink haired shinobi over the night, but it was obvious the blonde was enjoying having Sakura close to him. Shikamaru couldn't help but notice that Kakashi seemed a little disappointed that Naruto wasn't willing to share the burden of carrying Sakura. The group had been running towards Suna for just over 24 hours when they finally entered the desert. It was usually a day more at this point, but with the distance they were covering the shadow user hoped they could be there right at the day and a half mark. The main issue they were going to run into was the fact that they were running through the desert in the daytime which could lead to heat stroke.<p>

"Everyone, stop here for a moment," commanded the pony-tailed Nara to the group. Kakashi turned and looked at him with an inquisitive look as Shikamaru pulled four small white pills from one of his pouches. "Everyone take one of these with eight ounces of water from your canteen. They are pills specially formulated for Suna shinobi that know they will be doing strenuous operations in the harsh environment of the desert during the day," Shikamaru explained as Naruto lowered Sakura onto the sand.

"Wow, Shikamaru," Naruto said enthusiastically, "you are always prepared for everything. Where did you get these?"

The shadow user sighed as he looked down at the grains of sand beneath his sandals for a moment. "Temari gave them to me," he answered softly as he looked up into the blonde's eyes.

"Oh," was all the dumbfounded shinobi could reply as Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Naruto, take the pill and let's get moving," snapped Sakura who was well rested thanks to sleeping through the night on the blonde's back.

"Sakura, do you have everything you need in case they have someone meet us to take you ahead?" the Nara asked after taking his pill.

The pink haired kunoichi nodded her head yes after double checking that she had all the necessary scrolls containing all of the antidote components. She looked to her right to see an all too eager Naruto ready to scoop her up again. The pinkette looked pleadingly to Kakashi, "Do I really still have to be carried?"

Kakashi moved between her and Naruto with a gleam in his eye, "I'm afraid so, but please let me take my shift now." The copy nin didn't give her a chance to object as he scooped her up into his arms, while Naruto let out a disappointed cry. Kakashi was off and running across the desert sand leaving Naruto and Shikamaru to catch up with him. Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle to himself as they raced to catch up to their leader.

* * *

><p>Gaara, Kankuro, and Baki were going over the last of the preparations for the pending assault when a messenger entered the chamber. The young man immediately bowed down on one knee as he reported, "Lord Kazekage, the Konoha shinobi have been sighted in the desert approaching. They are still about fifty miles away."<p>

"Thank you, you are dismissed," Gaara answered cooly. He turned to Baki, "We go ahead with the plan we discussed. Kankuro and I will fly out to meet them using my sand. I will leave Kankuro with Naruto, Kakashi, and Shikamaru, while I return quickly with Sakura." The red haired Kazekage sighed as he added, "Watch for any signs of the enemy and be prepared. This is the moment they are waiting for."

"Yes, Lord Kazekage," Baki answered bowing his head in understanding. "Gambatte and be vigilant. You will be a prime target since they feel they have disposed of Temari."

"What am I?" Kankuro asked sounding perturbed. "I am a pretty important shinobi to Suna too!"

"You're just collateral damage," answered Gaara with a slight smile coming to the corners of his mouth. "Let's go, oniisan," the Kazekage said softly as he quickly headed to the door. The red head paused for a moment before he added, "Baki, please send someone you trust to inform Temari and Matsuri that the Konoha shinobi are almost here."

"Hai, Lord Kazekage," answered the shinobi.

* * *

><p>Matsuri was relieved when the messenger had arrived and informed Temari and she that the Konoha shinobi were already sighted. Temari had asked who the team consisted of and the young man reporting informed her that it was Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Shikamaru. Matsuri saw a slight gleam in the kunoichi's eyes at the mention of Shikamaru Nara but said nothing. Matsuri knew that Temari had a letter from Shikamaru tucked in the book she had under her pillow, but had not dared to read it. Heck, the book itself was from Shikamaru as well.<p>

The two had given up on trying to get any rest and simply chatted in between treatments now. "Sakura is the one that cured Kankuro from the brink of death," Temari said quietly. "I really can't ask for anyone better short of Lady Tsunade herself." Temari folded her arms across her chest as she leaned back onto the bed appearing to be lost in thought. The kunoichi was looking incredibly ragged, but she didn't have much longer to wait. Help was almost here and her spirits seemed to be lifted after the report.

"Sakura is an amazing fighter and healer," Matsuri spoke softly in agreement. Silence lingered between the two who both appeared to be daydreaming about various things. It was a comfortable silence though.

"Matsuri," Temari began, "do you love my youngest brother?"

The brunette promptly turned the brightest red possible and tried to sputter a response but failed miserably. She gave up and simply nodded her head yes while looking at the floor. She was painfully aware that Gaara's third eye was watching them, so he would know exactly how she felt now.

"You should tell him," the blonde said reassuringly as she sat up in bed. "Gaara isn't good at showing emotions and probably won't ever make a move, but I think he feels very strongly about you." The kunoichi was having a hard time talking due to the pain she was in, but she was managing to struggle through.

"I hope you're right," Matsuri answered meekly.

"I'm his big sister," Temari tried to laugh but only doubled over in pain for a moment. "I know these kind of things," she managed to get out before she began coughing. The blonde didn't stop coughing though, she began coughing up dark red blood and looked towards Matsuri with panic in her eyes. She couldn't catch her breath.

"Doctor!" Matsuri yelled as loud as her lungs could as she ran to Temari's side. Temari's eyes rolled back as she collapsed back onto the bed. The blonde began convulsing violently, so Matsuri quickly rolled her onto her left side as she continued to scream for help. The brunette looked to Gaara's third eye and yelled to him, "Hurry Gaara!"

* * *

><p>Gaara and Kankuro had been traveling quickly to meet the group from Konoha while watching for signs of a potential ambush. Kankuro had Crow out and ready as he stood back to back against Gaara on a platform of sand flying through the air. "I see them just up ahead," the red head said softly as he began to make the platform descend. "No!" the Kazekage suddenly cried losing his concentration and causing the platform to disappear from beneath them. The pair fell fifteen feet then rolled, Kankuro pulling two more puppet scrolls from his back to immediately summon Salamander and Black Ant. Kankuro looked to his brother that he could tell was watching something happen somewhere else and was not really here at the moment. "Temari," was all Gaara could say with emotion filling his voice.<p>

"Rasenshuriken!" screamed Naruto as he hurtled the attack past the pair of Suna shinobi who stood distracted. The blonde ball of energy went flying past them and began fighting five assailants that seemed to have appeared from nowhere.

"Take Sakura and go, Gaara!" yelled Shikamaru as he ran up and deflected seven kunai that had been hurtled towards the distracted Kazekage. Kankuro quickly refocused and sent his puppets toward the enemies that had appeared. The red head stood frozen as he shook his head trying to stop focusing on the images of his sister thrashing about. The young sand wielder realized that the Nara had been shielding him for several minutes along with Kankuro.

"Sorry, I'm back now. Temari is seizing," Gaara told Kankuro and Shikamaru in a hushed tone as Sakura came running up to him. "Sakura-san, we need to go quickly. I need you to hold on to me." The pink haired kunoichi simply nodded as she assumed a defensive stance behind Gaara with one arm wrapped around his waist. The Kazekage raised his arms as he willed his sand to form the flying platform again. The two flew straight up into the sky to a height that Gaara felt was safe. The red head looked down to see that Naruto had already taken down three of the five attackers, Kankuro had the fourth, and Kakashi had the fifth. Satisfied with the way things looked, the Kazekage directed the platform hurtling back towards Suna as fast as he could.

* * *

><p>Matsuri watched the scene in front of her as she felt her heart drop. There were at least a dozen people in the room now between doctors and nurses, all working feverishly on the Kazekage's sister. The obvious concern was written across every face there. '<em>No, not now. They're so close,<em>' Matsuri thought. The brunette walked over to a corner of the room, placed her back against the wall, and slowly slumped down to the floor. She watched in horror as Temari's heart rate monitor began to beep slower and slower. Alarms began going off on multiple pieces of equipment as doctors began to yell for additional drugs that nurses brought quickly.

The door to the room flew open as Sakura Haruno stormed in with an air of confidence and authority. She began barking orders, requesting necessary items, and demanding status of different blood levels. She pulled out several scrolls to summon the items she had already prepped. The pink haired kunoichi worked quickly and efficiently as she prepared the antidote, giving the doctors orders the entire time. Nurses brought her the ingredients that Suna had already organized and were waiting for her arrival. Sakura began the tedious process of alternating poison removal and antidote administration which provided immediate improvements. Temari's seizures stopped after the first round, much to the relief of everyone present.

Matsuri watched in silent awe as she suddenly realized that Gaara was standing quietly beside her. The Kazekage knelt down and pulled the brunette up into his arms. He hugged her as they both watched, feeling incredibly helpless. She could feel Gaara trembling slightly, but then again so was she. "She's going to be OK now. She's going to be OK," Matsuri tried to speak, but her voice wavered and cracked. The red head simply nodded yes in response as he pulled her head to his chest.


	7. O you, Whom it is Music to Hear

_**O you, Whom it is Music to Hear**_

Kankuro lead the way through the desert sand with speed and grace that Shikamaru didn't remember the puppet master having. Kankuro realized that the assault on Suna would be underway by the time they arrived, so he moved faster than he ever had before. Kankuro was briefing the group as they ran, directing them where to report and what duties they had upon arrival to Suna. The puppeteer slowed until he was alongside the Nara so he could look the genius in the eyes.

"Gaara has assigned you to report to Baki and assume command of Suna's forces," the black clad shinobi said with seriousness in his voice. "My brother is trusting Suna to your hands." Kankuro looked the Nara up and down as if he still couldn't believe it.

Shikamaru met his gaze solemnly, "I will not disappoint him or you."

Kankuro snorted, "You better not. Consider this your test of worth." He glared at Shikamaru with a mixture of emotions in his dark brown eyes, a combination of respect, envy, anger, and concern. The black clad puppeteer then bounded back to the front of the group before the young Nara could respond. Shikamaru simply stared at the Suna nin's back slightly taken aback. Were his feelings that obvious to everyone but himself?

"What does he mean a test of your worth?" Naruto asked quietly dropping back beside the shadow user.

'_Well at least Naruto doesn't know_,' the Nara thought to himself. Shikamaru simply shrugged in response to the blonde even though he knew very well what Kankuro was implying. The group was jolted by what sounded like thunder in the distance and the earth beneath their feet shuddering. Black smoke began billowing violently towards the sky in the distance from the edges of Suna.

"Damn it," cursed Kankuro under his breath as he burst forth, quickly followed by the others.

* * *

><p>The blasts were still outside of Suna since the enemies were not able to get past the defense measures that Temari had recommended prior to her hospitalization, but the explosions were becoming more frequent and intense. Sirens began to sound throughout the village and they were followed by pre-recorded instructions for taking shelter. The nurses and doctors in Temari's room were torn since they were responsible for evacuating patients but did not want to leave the Kazekage's sister. Temari had not regained consciousness after the seizures which had everyone concerned. Sakura barked for the medical staff to all leave and perform their required functions during an evacuation, which they quickly did giving her nods of thanks. The medical nin from Konoha looked across the now empty room to Gaara and Matsuri. The two had been standing out of the way watching silently as Sakura worked on Temari. "Matsuri, I need you to help me," the pink haired kunoichi said softly with a smile.<p>

"Sakura, I'm not a medically trained kunoichi," Matsuri objected quietly as she hung her head.

"It's OK," Sakura chuckled as she continued emanating the green healing chakra from her hands. "I only need someone to hand me things and follow simple directions. I believe you can do that just fine." The kunoichi from Konoha sighed as she added, "This is something I have to do by myself and all the extra people in here was getting annoying."

Matsuri smiled in response as she walked over beside Sakura who was back to concentrating on her procedure. "How is Temari doing?" she asked hesitantly. Gaara lifted his striking blue eyes to look at Sakura as they waited for an answer. Her eyes were furrowed as she strained with effort as if she was checking something in Temari's body before she answered.

"Temari isn't out of the woods yet," the pink haired kunoichi declared with concern written across her face as she continued her work. "I need you to fight, Temari," the medical nin murmured quietly to her patient.

Gaara crossed his arms and nodded his head in understanding. "She is fond of Konoha and the woods," he mumbled under his breath. Matsuri heard and understood what he was implying while Sakura was involved in her work and had not heard the comment. Gaara walked up to Temari's bedside, placing his hand upon hers. The young Kazekage's eyes appeared to be lost in thought until they lit up with some sort of an idea. "If you ladies do not mind, I would like to be excused to go check on things."

"Hai, Lord Kazekage," Matsuri said softly as she bowed.

Sakura simply nodded without looking away from Temari. The Kazekage moved his mouth close to Temari's ear as he quietly whispered, "I love you, big sister. I still need you around to tell me I'm doing everything wrong." The red head moved back with a slight grin coming to his lips and slight wetness forming in his eyes. He had hoped for her to squeeze his hand, flutter her eyelids, yell at him, or at least do something to show that she could hear him, but there was nothing. Gaara's face showed his disappointment as he quietly turned into sand and blew away on a wind that came from nowhere.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru stood in the center of a large room in the Kazekage tower listening to various reports from the front lines. He calmly asked questions and gave orders that were quickly followed. The young Nara hoped to end this by nightfall at the rate things were currently going. Once the last Sunan shinobi left the room, the shadow user picked up a large folder full of papers and collapsed into a chair. He read through the documents like a man possessed. Shikamaru was scanning the pages when he noticed the sand trickling into the room which ultimately took the form of Gaara looking over his shoulder.<p>

"You will not approve of what you find there," the red head said quietly as Shikamaru continued reading. "I need to know the current casualties and status on the evacuation," the Kazekage commanded as he walked across the room to look out over Suna.

Shikamaru rattled off the number of civilian dead and injured, shinobi dead and injured, and approximate enemy dead and injured. He also informed Gaara that the evacuation was eighty percent complete at this time. Civilians had taken cover in their assigned storm shelters, which were also strong enough to withstand explosions. He also updated Gaara on the current strategy and what units were completing different parts of the ultimate objective. Shikamaru finished off with his thoughts of the current situation, possible outcomes, unforeseen complications that could arise, and backup plans. The Nara rattled off all of this detailed information without once raising his eyes from the documents that he was reading. Gaara nodded his head in response even though he was still looking out over Suna from the window.

"Why did you request Temari's entire mission file?" the blue eyed young man asked as he folded his arms and turned to stare solemnly at Shikamaru. "The only mission you really needed to know about was this last one."

"Yes, the suicide mission," the young Nara said trying to sound bored and disinterested. "Why did you send your own sister on such an unusually dangerous mission?" Shikamaru returned Gaara's gaze, his eyes intense as if trying to understand some logic beyond his grasp. There wasn't really anger in them, just confusion.

The young Kazekage let out a long slow breath as if he knew the question was coming. "She came up with the plan and devised it in a way that she was the only one capable of completing it. She is my most trusted advisor and tactician. Lady Tsunade, Kankuro, and I all argued with her, but ultimately she felt this was important enough that she was willing to take the risk," the Kazekage answered with sadness in his voice. "No one can change Temari's mind once she has made a decision."

Shikamaru shook his head in understanding as he looked away to break their intense eye contact. He found a nice spot on the floor across the room to concentrate on as he spoke. "I have two questions for you then, Lord Kazekage. First, how is Temari doing? Second, will you be assuming command again now?" The Nara hoped so since being responsible for Suna was something far more troublesome than he wanted to deal with. He also had to admit that deep down he wanted to go check on Temari, but at least knowing her condition would make him feel a little better.

"Sakura is with her now, but apparently Temari is still not stable," Gaara answered quietly with concern in his voice. "I will be assuming command again on the condition that you go and remain with my sister. You are to assist Sakura in any way she needs," the sand wielding shinobi answered sternly. "You may be needed to think of other possible medical complications and remedies, which is why I want you there. The Nara clan has an extensive medical background, do they not?"

"Yes, the Nara's do but my knowledge is limited," Shikamaru answered slowly and obviously uncomfortable. "It will be a drag, but you have a deal," Shikamaru moaned as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Inwardly he was actually happy with that deal, but nervous since he did not have the extensive knowledge his father and mother had on medicinal remedies. He mentally kicked himself for being so lazy when they had tried to teach him.

* * *

><p>Matsuri was running back from the medical laboratory with the molecular composition report of the poison that Sakura had requested. Sakura had extracted the poison, but was having incredible difficulty healing Temari's damaged organs and tissues so she requested a more in depth analysis of the poison. The brunette was racing towards the hospital main entrance when she noticed someone else was heading for the door from the opposite direction. The dark haired shinobi with a ponytail landed moments before her and held the door open for her to simply run by. Matsuri realized as she sprinted by that the young man was actually Shikamaru Nara, who proceeded to follow her. The young nin from Suna didn't stop though, she simply lead the way to Temari's room. Matsuri slowed to open the door so she wouldn't burst in and disturb Sakura's concentration, but Shikamaru passed her and slid across the floor stopping just in front of it to open it quietly. The young kunoichi walked into the room out of breath with the report in her hand followed by the genius from Konoha. Sakura was standing over Temari, the green glow still emanating from her hands.<p>

"Matsuri, please tell me what they found in the poison," the pink haired kunoichi asked solemnly.

Matsuri tried to catch her breath to read the documents she held in her hand but was unable to. Shikamaru gently took the report from the brunette's hands and began reading off all the things used to create the complex poison. His eyes flicked back and forth from the papers to look at Temari's broken form on the bed. He felt his stomach sink along with a pain in his chest at seeing the strong blonde woman looking so frail. Shikamaru finished reading off the list with a slight waver in his voice that Matsuri noticed. Sakura sighed since some of the components were not ones they had anticipated. She was not familiar with them at all. Shikamaru seemed to read her mind since he walked over to a table as he pulled a scroll out of one of his pouches. He summoned a very large and old looking book.

"I have the Nara clan medical book with me, my dad had a feeling I would need it on this mission," the young genius mumbled as he began looking up the different unfamiliar components. It irked Shikamaru that his father still managed to think those few important steps further than he could. He began to write a list of additional things they needed to add to the antidote to truly begin to reverse the effects of the poison. Luckily the components needed all originated from Suna. "Matsuri, where can I gather the additional ingredients we need?" he asked as he turned around with the list in his hand. His eyes were determined and gleamed as if on fire.

The young kunoichi had recovered from her run and reached for the list as she spoke, "Please let me get the components." She held up a finger for him to wait as she walked over to the bed and retrieved the books beside it. "I have been reading to Temari all this time and am losing my voice. If you would read to her, I think that would be a big help," she explained handing the books to him even though he looked like he wanted to object. She pulled a book from the stack out and placed it on top in his hands. "Hearing this one from your voice may reach her," Matsuri said softly as she turned and walked out the door.

The Nara genius looked down at the familiar book, dumbstruck. It was the book he had left for Temari when he had been in Suna. He slowly walked over to the chair placed next to the bed as he looked at the volumes in his hands. The others weren't from him, but they were Shakespeare. He let out a small chuckle as a faint smile came to his lips, the other two books were romantic ones that he had not dared suggest afraid of how Temari would receive it. She may be tough as nails, but she really did have a softer side.

"I'll read to her unless you need me to help or do anything," the genius said looking to the medical kunoichi. Sakura simply shook her head no as she continued to concentrate.

Shikamaru placed the other books back on the table as he sat down in the chair with the book he had left for Temari. He was about to start reading when some papers fell out of the tome. He reached down to retrieve them absentmindedly. As the ponytailed Nara picked them up, he recognized his own handwriting. He blushed for a moment and was thankful that Sakura was fully immersed in treating Temari. It did not appear that she had noticed any of what he was doing. He opened the documents wearing his mask of disinterest to confirm that it was in fact a letter from him. Quickly reading over the pages he knew exactly which letter it was since he had been very conflicted about sending it to her. He inwardly thanked Kami for giving him the courage to go ahead and send it. The genius folded the papers back up and tucked them into the front of the book before flipping through the pages to the beginning of the sonnets.

"Sakura, I am going to ask that you never tell anyone, especially Ino, what you might see or hear," he said gently with pleading in his voice.

Sakura shook her head in understanding, "You have my word as a doctor. We just need something, anything, to get through to her."

Shikamaru began to read, his voice clear, strong, and passionate.

* * *

><p>Temari was surrounded by darkness.<p>

She felt nothing.

She heard nothing.

She saw nothing.

She was dressed in a beautiful white flowing dress, barefoot, with her hair down. This was a stark contrast to her black surroundings and her normal appearance. The blonde kunoichi was momentarily terrified that she was dead. Temari realized after a few moments that she was not dead, at least not yet, but she needed to find some way to get back to her body since she was probably in some type of coma. She wondered aimlessly in the darkness trying to concentrate on moving a finger or something in her real body. She realized getting back into her body would mean that she would be in horrific pain, but the longer she stayed here the less likely it was that she would ever wake up again. The blonde kunoichi walked for what felt like forever but she finally began to hear something. She couldn't tell what it was, but kept walking towards the sound. It was far away and sounded as if she was underwater since it was muffled. She didn't care though, all she knew was she needed to keep going in that direction.


	8. Deny that Thou Bear'st Love

_**Deny that Thou Bear'st Love**_

Shikamaru had just finished reading _The Taming of the Shrew_ when Sakura let out a tired groan. The pony tailed Nara cocked his head as he looked at the exhausted medical nin. It was sometime in the early hours of the morning, so the room was lit by a lamp beside Shikamaru. The explosions that had been rocking Suna throughout the day had halted a little over an hour ago. Matsuri stood beside the pink haired kunoichi looking to her for more instructions, hoping there might be something else she could do to help. The brunette had brought back all of the additional components needed, prepared them, added them to the already constructed antidote, and helped in every way that Sakura had asked her to. The kunoichi from Konoha shook her head no to answer the unspoken question in Matsuri's eyes.

"There's nothing else we can do at this point," Sakura said softly as she wiped the sweat off of her brow. "I've healed all of her organs, removed every trace of the poison, and reversed any damage I could find." Matsuri let out a little gasp before Sakura continued, but the doctor waved off the brunette's fears as she explained, "It appears her brain is still functioning properly, but I am going to order an EEG to make sure. She just needs time to rest. Temari is stable now, just unconscious. I will start looking over things thoroughly again in a little while to see if there is anything I am missing, but I am confident that everything that can be addressed has been. I'm going to take a break and grab something to eat, then I'll be back."

Matsuri nodded her head slowly in understanding. "I'll take you to the Kazekage's private kitchen where we can get food at all hours, Sakura-san. Well, as long as Shikamaru doesn't mind staying with Temari," the young kunoichi said turning to look at the genius.

"Just bring me something back, please," the ponytailed Nara said sounding bored.

"I just don't want to leave her defenseless," Matsuri added, "Temari's enemies aren't just outside of Suna." The brunette gave Shikamaru a look to make sure that he understood what she was implying. The shadow user frowned and nodded his head in response. "I will report to Gaara-sama," the young kunoichi spoke quietly.

Sakura walked over to where Shikamaru sat and handed him a scroll. "I'll let you decide what you want to do with this," she sighed. "It was a little scheme that Ino-pig cooked up that I just don't feel like following through on," she explained to a baffled Shikamaru. The pink haired kunoichi winked at him before she turned to follow Matsuri out of the room.

Shikamaru eyed the scroll warily, wondering what Ino had sealed within it. He slowly walked over to a clear place on the floor. He didn't know how large of an area he needed for whatever was within the scroll, so he was playing it safe. The genius slowly unrolled the scroll across the floor and summoned the items within. Three things appeared in the plume of smoke. There was a neatly wrapped box, some type of rare cactus in a nice clay pot, and a gorgeous potted flower arrangement. Shikamaru looked at the box first. There was a card on it addressed to Kankuro from Shikamaru. "Tch, Ino. Why would I give him something?" the Nara wondered out loud. He shook the box and deduced that it was parts for puppets, so he placed it back on the ground.

He looked at the cactus next and found yet another card, but this one was addressed to Gaara from Shikamaru. "Well, he is the Kazekage. Bringing him a gift may make some sense," the genius said out loud to himself trying to figure out what his blonde team mate had been up to. He pulled the tag off of this gift as well as the first one, thinking he would make them gifts from the entire team. Why on earth would he be giving gifts to Gaara and Kankuro? He had a sneaking suspicion, but was in denial at the moment.

Shikamaru then turned his attention to the last item. It was an elaborate live flower arrangement in a ceramic pot. It was two types of purple flowers intermingled and surrounding a single white one. He searched for the card but instead he found a sealed lavender envelope labeled Temari. The genius paused for a moment, but decided to open it since he was getting a bad feeling about this. Shikamaru tried to gasp for breath but choked when he read the card inside.

_Absence is to love as wind is to fire;_

_It extinguishes the small and kindles the great._

_-Shikamaru _

The young man gasped and hacked for a few minutes before he managed to clear his throat. "Ino is dead!" he growled as he took the card and shoved it in his pocket. He felt his face flush bright red as his pulse began racing. The Nara never got flustered over things, but for some reason he was about this. Shikamaru then looked closer at the flowers in the arrangement. It was purple heliotrope and alstroemeria encircling a gardenia plant with a single white blossom shining brightly in the sea of purple blooms. It was truly beautiful, which is what Shikamaru initially thought about whenever he saw it, but now he was searching his memory for the symbolism of the specific flowers. Ino had thought this all out carefully, much to his dismay. He turned and stared at Temari when he finally remembered the meanings. Gardenia was symbolic of secret love while heliotrope and alstroemeria both stood for devotion. The genius quietly cursed Ino under his breath for being so troublesome as he found himself unable to take his eyes off the woman laying motionless in bed.

Shikamaru continued to gaze at Temari's unmoving figure as his mind worked at top speed. Purple was her favorite color and she loved flowers. He could still make this look like no big deal, maybe. Giving her flowers in her favorite color would seem logical. The blonde wind mistress was quite the botanist, spending some of her free time studying and sketching plants in Konoha. The kunoichi didn't know that Shikamaru had been watching her when she did such things. The guide assigned to the Sunan ambassador had followed her in the shadows and convinced himself that it was simply for her protection.

The genius sighed and shook his head as if to pull himself out of a daze. He picked up the box and cactus so he could place them on a table in the far corner of the room. Shikamaru returned to where the elaborate flower arrangement sat on the floor and stared at it again for a few moments. The plants were in a ceramic flower pot that had a forest scene all the way around, but on one side stood a buck protectively in front of a doe. The Nara's mouth dropped open at this point. Ino had truly outdone herself! He stood there for a few more minutes thinking out all the different things he could do with the flowers, but decided it would be wasteful and troublesome not to give them to Temari. That was what he convinced himself the reason was anyway. He picked up the pot and moved it over to the table on the opposite side of her bed from where he was sitting, carefully placing the pot so only the forest scene showed. He stood there for a moment looking at the beautiful flower arrangement, then his eyes slowly ventured back to Temari. The kunoichi's color had returned to her face and he couldn't help but think how sweet she looked. When she was awake she was busy antagonizing him, so Shikamaru really never had the opportunity to appreciate her face looking so serene. When he had followed her he had seen the wind mistress' features light up like a child when studying plants, but this was different. Temari's blonde hair wasn't in ponytails so it lay wildly around her head on the pillow, and her body was covered by a thin hospital gown and sheet. He could see the outline of her body clearly, the hard muscles from countless hours of training complemented by the softness of womanly curves. The genius shook his head trying to get such thoughts out of his mind and desperately tried to think of something else. He never thought about women like that and especially should not think of Temari that way. She was the sister of the Kazekage and from another village. He suddenly thought that she might be cold since the Sunan nights were so chilly, so he lightly touched her arm with his hand. Temari's skin was soft and cool to the touch, so Shikamaru went through the cabinets in the room in search of a blanket. He gave a sigh of relief as he covered her up with the thick blanket that would keep her warm and prevent his mind from going places it shouldn't.

The events of the day and the sudden strange thoughts swirling through his mind left the young man physically and mentally exhausted. Shikamaru walked over and collapsed into the chair as he took one last sweep of the room. He was confident that he would wake up if anyone came in. As he drifted off to sleep he let his mind wonder aimlessly. Why did everyone seem to think that he and Temari were either already together or should be together? How did he feel about Temari was the difficult question that he really didn't want to face. It had been nagging him for a while, but events were finally pushing it forward to the point he couldn't ignore it anymore. The last thing he saw in his mind was the image of her face wearing one of her rare eye closing smiles.

* * *

><p><strong><em><span>(in Temari's mind)<span>_**

Temari walked in the darkness towards the muffled sound for what felt like days. It slowly became clearer and clearer, it was a familiar voice but one she could not place yet. When she thought she was finally going to be able to hear it clear enough to figure out who it was, it suddenly disappeared. "Great," she sighed to herself as she stopped. Her surroundings did not appear as though they had changed in the slightest even though she had been walking this entire time. "Time for a different plan, this doesn't seem to be doing any good," the blonde tactician sighed as she sat down cross-legged on the smooth floor. The kunoichi closed her eyes and reached out with her senses trying to gather as much information as possible. She had to figure out if she could escape physically or if this was something she could only do in her mind. There was no point in walking around aimlessly in the blackness if it wouldn't do any good.

Temari felt a familiar presence materialize from the blackness a few feet in front of her. The blonde kunoichi opened her eyes to see a smirking genius sitting cross-legged observing her. "So, you haven't figured out how to get out of here yet?" he asked tauntingly as he rested a cheek on his hand looking bored.

"No," Temari answered curtly. "The fact my mind has now conjured you up to harass me while trying to solve this just convinces me I need my head examined thoroughly."

Shikamaru looked at her with mock hurt on his face as he put a hand on his chest as though mortally wounded. "I'm only here to help, but I can go if you wish," he said as he began to fade into shadows before her eyes.

"Wait!" Temari yelped not really wanting to be left alone in nothing but blackness again even if it was just a figment of her imagination. She knew Shikamaru wasn't really here with her. Actually the figure wasn't helping her because this was all going on inside of her own head, so Temari was actually helping herself. Temari did find it annoying that her mind felt the need to use Shikamaru's form to make her reason this out though. The wind mistress let her shoulders drop as she decided she may as well hear out what her subconscious wanted to say. "OK genius, what am I missing? Why can't I get out of here?"

The form across from her emerged back from the shadows with an even more triumphant smirk. Temari wished she could smack that smile off of his face, but reasoned with herself that it would do no good right now. Therapeutic, yes. Productive, no.

"Well, those are two excellent questions to start out with," the young man said as he raised a finger to his chin as if he was contemplating something. "Let's start with why you can't get out of here. Why do you think you cannot leave this place?" Shikamaru asked as he placed his hands in his lap.

"I am in my mind right now since I am probably in a coma," Temari reasoned before sighing, "I cannot leave because my body either is not healed or I need to deal with something within my mind before my body will allow me to regain consciousness."

"Two good logical reasons," Shikamaru said with praise like he was teaching a child. The wind mistress wasn't sure she was going to keep putting up with this as the Nara looked into her eyes. She found herself transfixed for some reason, like she had become hypnotized. Shikamaru spoke in a calm soothing voice as he continued, "Now what can be done on your part for both of those scenarios?"

"If my body is not healed enough all I can do is wait," growled Temari as she crossed her arms. The blonde's anger and frustration was evident. Shikamaru gestured with his hand for her to continue since she forgot about the second scenario for a moment. "If there is something I need to deal with mentally, I need to figure out what it is and deal with it, of course," the kunoichi groaned as if it was obvious.

"Ah, it sounds so simple," he said with that superior tone again. "So what is it you need to deal with?" the shadow user asked suppressing a smile as he leaned forward.

"Ugh! Let me think!" the kunoichi cried as she threw her hands into the air. "Even my mind makes you annoying!"

"Take your time; I'm not going anywhere," he shrugged before adding, "Coincidently, neither are you." Shikamaru chuckled to himself as he lay down and folded his arms behind his head.

"Lazy ass," Temari hissed under her breath.

The young man's eyes were closed as he spoke in a gentler tone of voice, "You look nice."

Temari had forgotten that she was in a dress with her hair down so she was taken aback for a moment. She was thankful that he had his eyes closed since she looked shocked while she processed the comment. "Thanks," she simply replied. The wind mistress reminded herself that he wasn't the real Shikamaru since she seriously doubted the real one would ever pay her a compliment. "OK, what do I need to resolve?" she mumbled to herself as she closed her eyes again. The blonde kunoichi sat still for what felt like ten minutes going over things in her head, but really wasn't coming up with anything she felt was left unfinished. She began to fidget and sigh every few minutes.

"Would you like a hint?" the Nara asked still laying comfortably with his head resting on his arms.

"Sure," Temari answered cynically.

"What is your motivation in life?" the genius asked still not moving or opening his eyes to watch her.

Temari opened and closed her mouth several times before she spoke as she searched for her answer. "To protect Suna," she finally answered confidently.

"Really?" the young man asked finally opening one eye to look at her. "That's the only reason you have to live? Suna will not be effected by if you live or die, it's not as if you are the Kazekage."

Temari bit her lip at this statement. He was right. Growing up her motivation had been to raise and protect Gaara and Kankuro. They were grown now and no longer needed a mother figure. She had thrown herself into the duties of a Sunan ambassador, academy instructor, Chunin examiner, and primary tactician to try to fill the void she had suddenly found in her life. Temari was what she would consider happy, meaning she was always busy. She still knew deep down that her life was lacking for some reason that she had never been able to put her finger on.

Shikamaru watched Temari begin to reason through things silently and saw a wide range of emotions flicker across her face. "Temari, you have time. This isn't something simple you can solve in five minutes. Lay down and think about it," the pony tailed young man said patting the smooth black surface beside him.

"Of course your solution involves a nap," snorted Temari. The blonde shrugged as she rearranged herself so she was laying on the floor parallel to Shikamaru. The kunoichi folded her arms behind her head as she let out a long breath trying to calm and center herself.


	9. The Brave Day

_**The Brave Day**_

Shikamaru had been having unusual dreams when he was disturbed by a presence. The Nara had been having vision after vision of moments with Temari. Surprisingly they all made him feel happy for some reason, even when she was yelling at him. He would have liked a few moments to dwell on his thoughts, but realized that the presence trying to sneak into the room needed to be addressed immediately. Shikamaru didn't even open his eyes before standing and leaping out of the chair towards the figure as he drew his kunai. He had somersaulted perfectly over Temari's bed, grabbed the figure's cloak in transit, and thrown the person against the wall placing the blade to their throat all before becoming fully awake.

"What the hell NARA?" screamed the young man with spiky brown hair that Shikamaru had not initially recognized.

"Oh, Kankuro. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you without your… uniform," Shikamaru said sheepishly as he managed to not say 'makeup'. Now that he was awake the shadow user realized there was no mistaking Kankuro's chakra and inwardly cursed his offensive reflexes. The pony tailed Nara lowered his kunai and pointed to the box on the table across the room. "That's for you by the way," the lazy genius droned as he tucked away his kunai. Shikamaru then shoved his hands into his pockets acting as though nothing had happened.

"It's OK, most people don't recognize me out of my battle attire. It probably didn't help that I woke you up," the puppeteer shrugged as he walked over to the box. "At least I know you're taking protecting Temari seriously," he chuckled as he opened the box. "Wow! This is the best present ever! Who is this from?" the Suna shinobi exclaimed.

"All of us from Konoha, but Ino picked it out. I can let her know she chose well then?" Shikamaru smiled. The shadow user loved knowing he had just partially foiled the platinum blonde's scheme. The genius hoped with any luck he could send the over amorous puppeteer after the woman in return for her meddling.

"Heck yeah!" Kankuro said excitedly as he pulled each item out of the box in turn to admire it.

"Is the assault over now?" the tactician asked as he yawned and stretched. Shikamaru made his way back over to the chair beside the bed and collapsed back into it.

"Uh huh, we have them on the run back to their homeland. Baki and Kakashi are leading troops in pursuit," the puppeteer said as he glanced out the window. His face was somber and his words took on a more serious tone. "I was relieved from duty but haven't seen Gaara yet." The brown haired shinobi paused as he turned to look at Temari. He clenched and unclenched his right hand for a moment as he gazed at her as if he was afraid to ask the next question. "So what's the update on her?" Kankuro inquired softly gesturing towards his older sister.

"Sakura has healed everything she could find so Temari is stable, but unconscious still for some reason," Shikamaru sighed. "Matsuri took Sakura to her quarters so she could get a couple hours sleep before trouble shooting to make sure that there isn't anything that she missed."

The cloaked Kankuro frowned, "Sakura doesn't miss things," he mumbled as he turned away from Shikamaru. The puppeteer walked over to the window and looked out at the still dark sky. There was the slightest hint of color to indicate the coming sunrise on the horizon. Shikamaru wasn't one to pry and decided to just remain quiet as Kankuro appeared to become lost in thought.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(In Temari's Mind)<strong>_

'_What is my motivation in life?_' the wind mistress had been thinking to herself when Shikamaru cleared his throat. The blonde kunoichi turned her head to the side to look at the lazy young man still laying there with his eyes closed.

"OK," Shikamaru mumbled quietly. "Simply think about who has been important in your life. They can be from the past or present. Then ask yourself why they are important to you."

"Thanks," Temari grumbled still peeved that she was being helped by the lazy nin from Konoha in her subconscious. The blonde mentally listed her mother, Gaara, Kankuro, and Baki as the most important and influential. Her father was influential as well, but that was from her dislike for him. She adored her mother, respected Baki, and was very fond of her brothers. She had reasoned that being a shinobi she shouldn't grow too attached to many people, it was safer that way. Temari naturally kept herself at a distance from her students and fellow nins.

She inwardly groaned as she acknowledged that she really hadn't maintained that distance from Shikamaru though. She actually cared about what he thought, respected his opinion, and honestly tried to impress him with her own abilities. Temari had always told herself it was because he had been the first person to truly defeat her in battle. Then to make things even worse he had turned around and handed her the victory, which only made the defeat sting her ego more. She admired his intellect and skill, but despised his laziness because he was capable of so much more if he would simply try. Temari would train and study constantly to master a skill that he could learn in a matter of hours when he finally put his mind to it, which infuriated her.

The blonde heaved a huge sigh as she closed her eyes and pinched the top of her nose with her right hand. This was giving her a headache if that was even possible while trapped in her own mind.

"Temari," Shikamaru called softly as he sat up. The wind mistress sat back up and looked straight across to the shadow user's eyes. She was tired, worn, and wasn't sure she really wanted to hear anything else her subconscious had to say at the moment. The odds of her survival were becoming less and less the longer she remained unconscious.

"What?" she snapped irritably.

"I believe that words uttered in moments of emotion contain a greater living truth than words which express thoughts rationally conceived," the Nara advised as he began to fade away again.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Don't leave!" Temari yelled trying to not let the fear creep into her voice. Her cry echoed in the darkness which was again surrounding her. "OK, it's time for me to wake up," she growled as she crossed her legs and assumed a meditative position.

Slowly she felt herself begin to fade away. She was in darkness again, but felt as if she were in her own body. She could not open her eyes, she could not move, but she could hear. Temari could hear perfectly. She heard Sakura talking to Gaara and Kankuro. What she heard next practically broke her heart. She willed with all her might to move something, anything. She wished she could sit up and tell Kankuro that she would be all right, that everything was going to be OK. She needed her body to work again, fast.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru stood outside of Temari's room listening to Kankuro alternate between yelling and crying. He occasionally heard Sakura or Gaara's calm voices trying to soothe him, but it was mainly Kankuro. The shadow user knew that Temari and Kankuro had been close from childhood, surviving their father and Gaara's Shukaku days together. He never dreamed that the puppeteer would become this unhinged at the thought of losing his older sister though. Suna shinobi always seemed to be so detached and emotionless, so this was surprising to the Nara. The genius heard the puppeteer transition into sobbing as Sakura walked out of the room. Her green eyes were red and puffy from crying as she looked to Shikamaru.<p>

"I'm sorry but there is nothing else I can do," she muttered softly on the verge of tears again.

The shadow user placed a hand reassuringly on her shoulder. "I know you have done everything you can, thank you Sakura."

The pink haired kunoichi sniffled as she tried to give Shikamaru a small smile. It was obvious this was taking a toll on her as well. "The EEG looked good," she said hopefully. Shikamaru nodded and tried to force a small smile of reassurance to the medical nin. Sakura turned to walk away as Gaara came out of the room almost carrying Kankuro.

The genius immediately approached the Kazekage, "What can I do?"

"Stay with her until I get back," the red head said smoothly as he turned to the puppeteer. "Temari is a fighter and will beat the odds no matter how slim they are," Gaara said reassuringly while looking into the broken Kankuro's eyes. "You have taken personal responsibility for her condition when I am the one to be blamed. I am the Kazekage and I gave her the mission. Blame me, be angry with me, but please don't be like this."

Kankuro simply shook his head as he tried to choke down his tears. The puppeteer still had enough pride that he didn't want the general population of Suna to see him like this. The two brothers continued on their way out of the hospital as Shikamaru turned and entered Temari's room slowly. The sunlight coming in from the window seemed drawn to Temari's unconscious figure. The beams of light reflected off of her golden hair making her appear to have an angelic aura, which Shikamaru probably would have found comical under any other circumstance. Seeing how distraught Kankuro was left Shikamaru with mixed feelings. The Nara had been trying to sort out his own feelings all morning and had finally accepted that he may have romantic feelings for this woman. Seeing how the thought of losing her as a sister had broken a strong shinobi like Kankuro, he could only imagine how it would affect someone that was her lover.

Shikamaru moved the chair over to right beside the bed and sat down with a sigh. He sat for what felt like ages in his thinking position trying to decide what course of action to take before finally making his choice. He leaned over and whispered into her ear as he took her hand into his. "Temari," he breathed, "you need to come back please. Your brothers need you, Suna needs you, and…well…I…uhh…" The genius from Konoha groaned as he sat back in the chair and took his other hand to begin to stroke the back of hers, "I have no idea how to do this. Good thing you're unconscious I guess." Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle, "Sorry, it's just kind of funny. Feel free to wake up and slap me." He leaned in and began to whisper again, "I care about you for some reason. You're troublesome, bossy, and scary but…I admire you. You're intelligent, witty, strong, and…beautiful. You're the type of woman that can keep a Nara man in line."

"She is the type of woman that can keep anyone in line, actually," Gaara said as he materialized from sand seeping back into the room. Shikamaru quickly withdrew his hands to his lap as his face turned red. Gaara waved dismissively, "It is obvious that Temari has feelings for you, so there is no need to be embarrassed about a little hand holding."

"Kazekage-sama, I don't think she would be willing to show that kind of affection in front of others though," Shikamaru said suddenly feeling very guilty.

"If she doesn't want you holding her hand in front of me, she needs to wake up and remove it then," the Kazekage coolly retorted as he leveled a meaningful gaze on the shadow user. It was an order and Shikamaru understood what Gaara was trying to do. He took her hand in his again and squeezed gently. There was an ever so slight twitch of her fingers in response which made Shikamaru's eyes widen in surprise. Gaara swiftly moved over to where he could see their hands clearly. "Temari, do you not want him to hold your hand?" the red head asked. The two stared at her hand for two minutes but nothing happened.

"Temari, is it OK that I hold your hand?" Shikamaru asked softly. The tips of her fingers moved slightly in response. It was just a miniscule movement but it was purposeful and a response. Gaara's face lit up like the sun as Shikamaru let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"I'll be right back with Kankuro," the Kazekage beamed as he practically ran out of the room. Gaara excited was a rare site indeed.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's note:<strong>_

Several reviews have asked about the chapter titles-they are actually lines I have chosen from Shakespeare's Sonnets. It is not every single one since I have skipped a few that caused me problems and it would be a long story if I used an excerpt from every sonnet.

Things are very busy for me right now with work until after October, so this may not be updated as often as I would like. Thank you all for being so patient with me!

I may receive some flames about Kankuro's OOCness, but I think of him as a very deep character. He went off alone after the Akatsuki for Gaara and I think he is even closer to Temari. This is just my interpretation of him for this story. ~LadyTemari


	10. Truth and Beauty Together Thrive

_**Shinobi and Sonnets**_

_**Truth and Beauty Together Thrive**_

Temari was finally awake. She was groggy and disoriented, but awake. The blonde pulling through so quickly relieved them all significantly. Gaara, Kankuro, and Shikamaru sat in chairs outside of Temari's room while the nurses bathed her since she insisted on being cleaned up. The wind mistress may still be recovering, but was quick to threaten what would happen if she didn't get her way. Shikamaru and Kankuro had both fallen sound asleep in their chairs while waiting patiently. Kankuro was slightly snoring due to the odd position his head had ended up in against the wall. Gaara watched them both as he waited, clearly amused at how quickly the pair had drifted off. The nurses walked quietly out of the room and nodded to the Kazekage that he could re-enter as they walked past. The women appeared relieved to be getting away from the blonde hellion within the room. Gaara glanced at the napping pair with him as he stood and thought they seemed to be sleeping rather soundly. The red head left the two sleeping shinobi in the hall so he could speak to his big sister alone before returning to his duties as Kazekage.

Gaara entered the room silently and closed the door behind him. Temari sat in bed looking at him guiltily, not sure what kind of lecture she might be about to get.

"I'm sorry," the blonde mumbled as she looked down at the sheets covering her.

"Stop," interrupted the Kazekage as he took a seat beside her. "You're OK now and that is all that matters. How are you feeling?"

"I hurt all over," Temari groaned. "What's worse though is that it feels like my brain is in a fog, like I haven't completely recovered from a genjutsu."

"Give yourself time," the red head reassured quietly. "I am going to have to go back to work but do you need anything before I go?"

"No, thank you," the kunoichi smiled weakly. "I think I still need sleep more than anything."

"Kankuro and Shikamaru are sleeping in the hall right now," Gaara stated with a gleam in his eye. "If you need anything I would hope one of them would wake up if you yell."

The blonde wind mistress snorted, "I doubt it."

The sand wielder crossed over to his rare cactus that the shinobi from Konoha had given him according to Shikamaru. He picked it up fondly as he turned it around to admire it again. "Oh, I don't know if you saw the flowers that they brought for you," he said softly as he pointed to the arrangement. "The Konoha nins have an excellent eye for detail."

Temari craned her head around to look at the arrangement. "Gaara, do you mind sliding that over here so I can see it better?"

The Kazekage nodded as he walked over and moved the ceramic pot containing the flowers closer to Temari from where they sat on the table. The blonde woman couldn't help but smile at the beautiful display. Plants were her secret passion that very few knew about.

"Sleep well, oneesan," the red head murmured as he turned to leave the room.

"I'll try my best," she chuckled in response. Gaara's lips turned up ever so slightly at the corners as he looked at his sister one last time. He nodded as he opened the door and walked silently out. The blonde kunoichi watched him go with a mixture of emotions. She didn't really want to be alone, but knew Gaara was the Kazekage and had responsibilities. She couldn't bring herself to ask him to stay with her; she needed to be the strong one anyway.

Temari's emerald eyes gazed over at the flowers as she hunted for something to distract her. She began searching through her mind trying to remember the names of them. "Gardenia," she murmured stroking the white bloom. She scrunched her nose up as she ran her fingers over the two types of purple flowers that circled the single white blossom. "I know these…I know I know these," she grumbled. She took one of the purple blooms and examined it closely, feeling as though the name of the plant was just on the tip of her tongue.

"Purple heliotrope and alstroemeria," a voice answered from the doorway.

She glared at the lazy genius who was leaning against the door frame. "I would have gotten it, I'm just not one hundred percent yet," Temari growled.

"I know troublesome woman. I'm just trying to help," Shikamaru muttered as he began to rub the back of his neck. He looked conflicted as if he didn't know if he wanted to turn around and leave or come in.

"Come in and sit down, lazy ass," Temari chuckled. Inwardly she was happy to have the company, but she wasn't about to let him know that. Shikamaru looking lost was a pleasant change of pace. "I need you to tell me everything I missed and I mean everything," the blonde threatened. "Gaara and Kankuro are going to try to shelter and baby me right now, which I don't need."

"You almost died woman," sighed Shikamaru, "don't you think you could give yourself a little time to recover before you began trying to figure out what Suna's next move is?" Temari gave him a look that clearly conveyed that she did not agree. The shadow user slowly walked across the room to sit in the chair beside Temari's bed. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees as he explained, "Gaara has requested I remain here for the next two months, which is a drag, but means you can take a break."

Temari looked at the genius as she tried to process the information. "No, I have to worry about Suna's defenses, the Chunin exams. Wait, how can you stay here and help when you have to work on the Chunin exams too? This is not going," she began before being interrupted.

"You don't have to worry about anything other than getting better, Temari!" Shikamaru said with more force than he intended. The blonde's mouth fell open as she looked at him for a moment. She shook her head from side to side as she closed her mouth from the shock. The blonde closed her eyes as she balled her hands up in the sheets covering her as if she was trying to remember something.

"Was it real?" she whispered almost to herself.

"Was what real?" the genius asked gently trying to make up for sounding so harsh.

"Nothing, never mind," the blonde snapped as she crossed her arms in frustration.

"For Kami's sake woman!" Shikamaru groaned as he placed both hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. "This was so much easier when you were unconscious," he mumbled.

The blonde turned and looked at him as she narrowed her eyes, "Yeah, about the things you said while you thought I couldn't hear you." Temari let the comment hang even though she was bluffing. The kunoichi could remember the conversations with the Shikamaru in her head, but honestly couldn't remember what the real one said to her while she was fading in and out of consciousness. She knew he had been talking to her and said some things that she really needed to remember, but her head was still a jumbled mess. The genius just sat there still looking at the ceiling as if she had not been talking to him.

"AND what does your assigned reading for me imply? Are you saying that I am the shrew needing to be tamed?" she jested hoping to snap him out of his daze.

The genius turned pale momentarily and began to rub the back of his neck with his right hand again. "Well, you see," Shikamaru began trying to find the right words. His face went through a variety of emotions before settling into one of acceptance. "I care about you," he finally said as he looked up and locked eyes with the kunoichi. "It's troublesome, but I care about you, admire you, think about you, worry about you. It's ridiculous actually," he said as he shrugged. He sat back in the chair with an expression on his face that Temari had no idea how to interpret. It was relieved, yet frustrated.

"What are you trying to say?" Temari scoffed. "You're a thoughtful person. You broke down into tears when you thought your friends might die. You think about and worry about everything, because that's just who you are."

Shikamaru sighed as he scooted his chair against her bed and grabbed her hand. "I read to you then held your hand while you were unconscious, did I do that for Choji?"

Temari's eyes grew wide as she shook her head no in response. The Nara holding her hand seemed to totally halt all of her thinking processes, which were slow to begin with right now.

"Temari, please just listen to me right now," the shadow user's tone almost ordered, which was not the way he usually talked to her. The kunoichi nodded her head in agreement slowly not being able to come up with her usual witty responses to Shikamaru. "I've changed and grown a lot while you were gone," he began. "Through this process I have become acutely aware of how short a shinobi's expected lifespan is. This is something that originally did not bother me, until my sensei sacrificed himself to protect me. He made that sacrifice leaving the woman he loved behind pregnant with his child…all because I had been lazy and never really tried to live up to my potential because it was too troublesome."

"Shikamaru," whispered Temari as she placed her other hand on top of his.

The genius motioned for her to stop with his free hand as he continued. "It's true and you will never convince me otherwise. The only way I can make up for it is to work hard, take care of Kurenai and her child, and live the way Asuma hoped I eventually would." Shikamaru gently placed his free hand on top of where her hands held on to his, lightly running his finger back and forth over her knuckles. "I want to be completely honest with you, but I would like to ask the same in return." The blonde warily nodded her head again in acceptance. "I had been worried about you ever since I had heard rumors of what kind of extended mission you were on. I felt angry at you for taking on such a dangerous mission, but honestly I had no right to be upset. What am I to you? A friend I hope, but that's all. It took coming here and thinking I was honestly going to stand here and watch you die before I really admitted to myself that you are special to me. I want you to be more than a friend. I, I," Shikamaru's brown eyes fell to the floor afraid to look at her as he spoke his true desire. "I want you to be mine," he whispered as if it was painful to say. "I want to protect you, care for you, and maybe even love you if you will let me," Shikamaru finished as he glanced up to try and read Temari's reaction. Her face was blank-it wasn't rejection but it wasn't acceptance either. "I know you are from Suna and I am from Konoha, but I have already started discussions with the Hokage and Gaara. I can absolutely work something out that we both will be happy with when the time comes," he began to ramble feeling like he needed to explain away any excuses she might have.

The blonde kunoichi closed her eyes as she began to chuckle. Shikamaru misinterpreting her response tried to remove his hands from hers, but found she only held tighter as he tried to pull away. "You," Temari said softly as she opened her eyes and looked directly into Shikamaru's, "you were in my head telling me what to do." The Nara gave her a puzzled look, but was relieved that it didn't appear she was rejecting him. "It's all a mess," Temari tried to explain as she looked down at their hands again, "but you were trying to coach me through what I needed to do. I know it wasn't really you, but it was so like you…" The blonde's words trailed off as she became lost in her thoughts again. Temari stared at their hands intertwined on her bed as she tried to sort out what had been real and what was in her dreams. "I believe that words uttered in moments of emotion contain a greater living truth than words which express thoughts rationally conceived. That's the last thing you told me in my dream," the wind mistress whispered quietly.

"Well, that is a quote from Natsume Soseki that I don't think I have ever said to anyone. I do find it logical and intriguing," Shikamaru answered as he shrugged his shoulders. "May I ask what else I said in your dream?"

"You asked me, 'What is your motivation in life?' and I didn't really have an answer. I told you it was to protect Suna, but that wasn't it. My motivation had been to protect Gaara and Kankuro, but they are grown men now," the blonde stopped and appeared to be conflicted about continuing her explanation. "I realized that training the children of the village, being the Suna Ambassador, and working on the Chunin exams had become my main focus. I try to keep everyone at a safe distance though, not getting too close to anyone. It's safer that way, but it's empty. When I come to Konoha it is always harder to keep those walls up since everyone is so friendly. I did not keep those walls up when it came to you," the kunoichi sighed as if this all was giving her a headache. "I am not even sure what my motivation and goals are anymore."

Shikamaru smirked as he leaned in conspiratorially "Well, I need to admit that some of my goals are not realistic or attainable. The lifelong goal I have had of marriage to an average woman just isn't going to be possible for me."

Temari's mind still being clouded was not helping her in this conversation at all as she looked at Shikamaru dumbfounded.

"Why not?" was all she managed to choke out.

"Because I am pretty certain I have fallen for someone that is gorgeous and intelligent. There is nothing even slightly average about her," the raven haired Nara breathed.

"Yep, I must still be under genjutsu because there is no way Shikamaru is going to compliment me to that extent. There would have to be an insult in there somewhere," the blonde kunoichi laughed out loud at this point, enjoying the distraction from her deep thoughts.

"Do you remember the sonnets?" the genius asked quietly. "Did you get the chance to read them?"

"Yes," the blonde kunoichi snapped, "They seemed to deal with romance, death, mortality, and leaving a legacy." Temari paused as she realized that a good portion of the sonnets revolved around having a child as the way to carry on that legacy.

"You read my last letter, what did I say about the sonnets?" the genius coaxed.

"To read them as if you had written them to me," Temari answered quickly without thinking. "No, no, you said a man had written them to me." The blonde groaned at her own slip up as she pulled her hands away from his to cover her reddening face.

"You interpreted it the way I hoped you would," the genius smirked as he pulled Temari's hands gently away from hiding her face. The vicious kunoichi was obviously uncomfortable with their conversation, but Shikamaru knew he would have to take the lead if there was ever going to be anything romantic between them. "So, would you have an objection to becoming my," Shikamaru paused for a moment, "we can work out the semantics that you prefer but essentially girlfriend?"

The kunoichi shook her head from side to side as she looked down at her lap again, clearly embarrassed and not knowing what to do. The wind mistress spoke slowly trying to hide the fear in her voice, "Shikamaru, I'm not good with emotional stuff. Battles, strategy, tactics, sabotage-I will take them any day over telling anyone how I feel."

The Nara simply shrugged, "I know. We'll figure this out as we go; we just have to communicate in one way or another." Temari gave him a funny look not sure of what the genius was implying. "I realize that is easier said than done though," the shadow user sighed. "Let's just take this one step at a time and get you well enough to leave the hospital first."

"That would be nice," Temari agreed. "I am still so tired. Do you mind staying in here while I go back to sleep? It sounds weird, but I just don't want to be alone," the blonde asked hesitantly.

Shikamaru smirked, "I don't mind at all but I can't promise I will stay awake the entire time."

The kunoichi snorted as she threw one of her pillows at him. "Gee, there's a shocker!" she laughed. Temari settled on her side facing Shikamaru's chair as he sat there smirking. "Thanks, lazy ass," she murmured as Shikamaru moved his chair so he could place the pillow and his head on the side of her bed facing her.

"You're welcome," he genuinely smiled as he took one of her hands in his as he laid his head down.


	11. Consider Everything that Grows

_**Shinobi and Sonnets**_

_**Consider Everything that Grows**_

Temari had known that the day would come, but the two months of her recovery had gone by too fast. Tomorrow the shadow user would be returning to Konoha. Shikamaru and Temari had been practically inseparable this entire time to the point that the villagers were beginning to accept the Konoha nin like one of their own. The wind mistress thought about how they would be going back to their lives in their respective villages that were three days apart. It left her with an odd feeling in her chest. She was not some fickle girl that would change her mind about their relationship once the genius was gone. Shikamaru was incredibly loyal to his friends and family, so she wasn't worried about that aspect either. What Temari had become painfully aware of was the fact that she was going to actually miss him. Miss banging on his door until he woke up in the morning, dragging him to and from appointments, and spending a relaxing evening with him chatting about the day's events. She would miss the faces he made while playing shogi, how he would hold doors open for her, and how affectionate he could be when no one else was around.

The couple was in a meeting of the Sunan Council that felt like it had been dragging on forever. Temari sat on one side of the large circular table in between her two brothers while Shikamaru was seated directly across from her in between two elders. The blonde felt her eye begin to twitch as it looked like the genius fell asleep. She brought two fingers up to her temple and began to rub in a circle as Kankuro quietly snickered. The blonde kunoichi then felt something touch her foot and begin to slowly creep up the outside of her leg. Temari realized Shikamaru's damn hands were under the table where no one could see them forming the seals for his shadow jutsu. The shadow began to gently stroke up and down her leg which caused the blonde's hand to freeze as she glared across the table. The genius was still pretending to be asleep, but suddenly flinched awake and released the jutsu. Temari saw Gaara smile wickedly at the Konoha shinobi out of her peripheral vision. Kankuro began to cough trying to prevent himself from laughing out loud.

Temari was so relieved when the meeting was finally over, but found herself cornered by an elder much to her dismay. The wind mistress wanted to get out of there and enjoy her last evening with Shikamaru, but with her position in the village she could not be rude to the elder. She listened to what the man had to say graciously but bolted at the first opportunity to leave. The kunoichi found Shikamaru, Kankuro, and Gaara talking in a secluded hallway.

"I'm actually going to miss having you around, Nara. You make these boring council meetings interesting," joked Kankuro.

"I would appreciate you not feeling up my sister while I am right beside her though," Gaara said in his monotone voice with his eyes gleaming. It was actually a joke with no threat behind it which caused the genius to chuckle.

"You're sand hitting me in the shin made that pretty clear, Kazekage-sama," the shadow user said as he smirked.

"I would have kicked you in the shin if I could have reached," growled Temari as she walked up and smacked Shikamaru's arm. "Thank you for doing it for me, Gaara," the kunoichi added as she smiled at her little brother.

"My pleasure, oneesan," the Kazekage said as he bowed his head with his lips ever so slightly curling up into a smile. "Will you be sticking to your original plans for this evening?"

"Hai," the blonde answered matter of factly as the genius shoved his hands into his pockets with a confused look on his face.

"Have a good evening then. We'll see you tomorrow at the gate, Shikamaru," the red head said softly as he turned to leave motioning for Kankuro to follow.

"See ya!" Kankuro chimed as he followed his little brother.

Shikamaru slid up beside Temari so they were just shy of touching after her brothers were out of sight. "I really hope it is dinner at home," he murmured softly as he began to rub the back of his head.

The wind mistress snorted in response, "I thought your home is in Konoha."

"You know what I mean, troublesome woman," the genius drawled.

The blonde nodded her head in understanding. "Yes, we're going 'home'. Gaara and Kankuro are going out so we can have the Kazekage mansion to ourselves this evening." The shadow user smirked at the fact that Temari always seemed to be on the same wavelength he was. "Come on, lazy ass," the blonde laughed.

* * *

><p>The couple spent the evening talking about anything and everything except the fact that Shikamaru was leaving the next morning. They enjoyed dinner then moved into the Kazekage's game room where they sat and played shogi realizing it would be the last time for quite a while. As Shikamaru sat in his thinking position the blonde sighed and shifted her weight.<p>

"We can't dance around this anymore, how are we going to do this?" the kunoichi asked quietly.

Shikamaru sat still for a moment as if thinking over how best to explain things, then took a deep breath in. "The next year will be spent with us taking missions, running the Chunin exams, writing one another, and occasional visits," the genius stated looking up into her teal eyes as he shrugged. "Eventually I'll propose, you will accept, and ultimately you will come to live in Konoha. We will visit Suna often, but I think you would be happier living in the Leaf with me. Gaara agrees. We will have homes in both villages though." The shadow user stated everything so calmly that the blonde could only sit there in silent appreciation. The blonde smirked at him as she tilted her head to the side and nodded in approval. Shikamaru smiled back as he pulled a black lacquer box out of his vest and placed it on the shogi table in front of the wind mistress.

"What's this?" the kunoichi asked genuinely surprised. The Nara made a gesture with his hand to indicate she should go ahead and see. Temari gently picked up the simple yet elegant box and opened it. There was a simple white gold chain inside with an onyx disc. The blonde picked it up to examine it closer and found the kanji for wind in silver on one side and the kanji for fire in gold on the other. Shikamaru was from the Land of Fire and she was from the Land of Wind which was what she immediately assumed it symbolized.

"Read the lid of the box," the genius said quietly with a look of eager anticipation. Shikamaru was always so smug and self confident, but there was the ever so slight indication that he was nervous as to how this would be received.

The kunoichi couldn't help but smile slyly back at him as she followed his request. Temari held the necklace in her left hand as she picked the box up in her right. The blonde found beautiful calligraphy in gold on the lid of the box. It was written masterfully, but she could recognize that it was Shikamaru's own handwriting.

**_Absence is to love as wind is to fire;_**

**_It extinguishes the small and kindles the great._**

Temari's breath caught in her throat as she looked from the lid, to Shikamaru, then back to the lid. She realized that the look on her face was surely priceless with the way the shadow user was now beaming.

"May I put it on you?" he asked softly stifling a chuckle. The kunoichi simply nodded her head in response as Shikamaru stood and walked over behind where she was kneeling on the floor. The raven haired Nara gently took the necklace from her hand as he knelt behind her. He moved his head to the side as he whispered gently in her ear, "You show the world your loyalty to wind, while you keep fire close to your heart." He slipped the chain around her neck with the fire side against her chest and the wind engraving for everyone to see. The shadow user kissed the back of her neck lightly after fastening the chain. "If I had known this was how to get you to be quiet, I would have done it sooner," he teased breathing on her neck.

Temari quickly turned around and grabbed both sides of his face, practically pouncing on the nin. The wind mistress kissed him until they were both out of breath. "Thank you," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's perfect."

"I had a little help," shrugged the shadow user.

'_When Ino finds out she is never going to let me live this down_,' the genius inwardly groaned.

~End

That's it! I apologize for the huge delay on the last two chapters which is why I wanted to get this finished over my short break before I start teaching again.


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